By: Coleman, Guillen, Fierro H.B. No. 2079

(Senate Sponsor - Miles)

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 2019; April 29, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Administration; May 3, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 3, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to compensation under the Crime Victims' Compensation Act for certain expenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Article 56.42(d), Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows:

(d) A [victim who is a] victim of stalking, family violence, or trafficking of persons, [or] a victim of sexual assault who is assaulted in the victim's place of residence, or a child who is a victim of a murder attempt in the child's place of residence may receive a onetime-only assistance payment in an amount not to exceed:

(1) $2,000 to be used for relocation expenses, including expenses for rental deposit, utility connections, expenses relating to the moving of belongings, motor vehicle mileage expenses, and for out-of-state moves, transportation, lodging, and meals; and

(2) $1,800 to be used for housing rental expenses.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to a victim of a criminal offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. A criminal offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, a criminal offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

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