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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the definition of victim for purposes of the Crime |
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Victims' Compensation Act. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 56B.003(14), Code of Criminal Procedure, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(14) "Victim" means: |
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(A) an individual who [: |
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[(i)] suffers personal injury or death as a |
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result of criminally injurious conduct or as a result of actions |
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taken by the individual as an intervenor, if the conduct or actions |
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occurred in this state; [and |
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[(ii) is a resident of this state or another |
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state of the United States;] |
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(B) an individual who: |
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(i) suffers personal injury or death as a |
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result of criminally injurious conduct or as a result of actions |
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taken by the individual as an intervenor, if the conduct or actions |
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occurred in a state or country that does not have a crime victims' |
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compensation program that meets the requirements of Section |
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1403(b), Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (34 U.S.C. Section 20102(b)); |
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(ii) is a resident of this state; and |
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(iii) would be entitled to compensation |
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under this chapter if the criminally injurious conduct or actions |
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had occurred in this state; or |
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(C) an individual who: |
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(i) suffers personal injury or death as a |
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result of criminally injurious conduct caused by an act of |
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international terrorism as defined by 18 U.S.C. Section 2331 |
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committed outside of the United States; and |
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(ii) is a resident of this state. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to compensation for criminally injurious conduct occurring on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. Compensation for criminally |
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injurious conduct occurring before the effective date of this Act |
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is governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, criminally injurious conduct occurred |
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before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense |
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underlying the conduct occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |