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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the applicability of the death penalty to a capital |
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offense committed by a person with an intellectual disability. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 44.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The state is entitled to appeal an order of a court in a |
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criminal case if the order: |
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(1) dismisses an indictment, information, or |
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complaint or any portion of an indictment, information, or |
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complaint; |
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(2) arrests or modifies a judgment; |
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(3) grants a new trial; |
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(4) sustains a claim of former jeopardy; |
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(5) grants a motion to suppress evidence, a |
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confession, or an admission, if jeopardy has not attached in the |
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case and if the prosecuting attorney certifies to the trial court |
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that the appeal is not taken for the purpose of delay and that the |
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evidence, confession, or admission is of substantial importance in |
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the case; or |
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(6) is issued under Chapter 46D or 64. |
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(a-1) The state's appeal of an order issued under Chapter |
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46D is a direct appeal to the court of criminal appeals. The court |
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of criminal appeals shall expeditiously review the appeal. |
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SECTION 2. Title 1, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended |
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by adding Chapter 46D to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 46D. CAPITAL CASE: EFFECT OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY |
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Art. 46D.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Deficits in adaptive behavior" means sufficient |
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deficits in adaptive functioning under prevailing medical |
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standards for determining intellectual disability. |
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(2) "Developmental period" means the developmental |
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period of a person's life, as determined by prevailing medical |
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standards. |
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(3) "Intellectual disability" means significantly |
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subaverage general intellectual functioning that is concurrent |
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with deficits in adaptive behavior and originates during the |
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developmental period. |
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(4) "Significantly subaverage general intellectual |
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functioning" refers to a measured intelligence quotient on a |
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standardized psychometric instrument of approximately two or more |
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standard deviations below the age-group mean for the test used, |
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considering the standard error of measurement applicable to the |
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instrument. |
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Art. 46D.002. RESTRICTION ON DEATH PENALTY. A defendant |
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who is a person with an intellectual disability may not be sentenced |
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to death. |
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Art. 46D.003. HEARING; DETERMINATION. (a) The attorney |
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for a defendant in a capital case, not later than the first |
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anniversary of the date of the defendant's indictment, may request |
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in writing that the judge hearing the case hold a hearing to |
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determine whether the defendant is a person with an intellectual |
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disability. |
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(b) On receipt of a request under this article, if the judge |
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determines that the request was timely filed, the judge shall hold a |
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hearing in accordance with this chapter to determine the issue. The |
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hearing must be held: |
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(1) not earlier than 180 days after the date that the |
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written request was submitted under Subsection (a); and |
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(2) not later than the 120th day before the date the |
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trial is scheduled to begin. |
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(c) If the attorney for a defendant files an untimely |
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request under Subsection (a), or after the time for filing a request |
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under Subsection (a) otherwise presents evidence that the defendant |
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is a person with an intellectual disability, the judge may hold a |
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hearing in accordance with this chapter if the attorney can show |
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good cause for not filing a request within the time limit prescribed |
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by Subsection (a). The hearing may not be held before a jury |
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empaneled in the case. |
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Art. 46D.004. APPOINTMENT OF DISINTERESTED EXPERT. (a) |
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After the judge receives a request under Article 46D.003, and on the |
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request of either party or on the judge's own motion, the judge |
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shall appoint a disinterested expert experienced and qualified in |
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the field of diagnosing intellectual disabilities to examine the |
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defendant and determine whether the defendant is a person with an |
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intellectual disability. |
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(b) The judge may order the defendant to submit to an |
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examination by an expert appointed under this article. |
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(c) An examination described by this article must be |
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narrowly tailored to determine whether the defendant has an |
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intellectual disability. |
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Art. 46D.005. BURDEN OF PROOF. (a) At a hearing under this |
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chapter, the burden is on the defendant to prove by a preponderance |
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of the evidence that the defendant is a person with an intellectual |
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disability. |
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(b) The state may offer evidence to rebut evidence offered |
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by the defendant. |
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Art. 46D.006. PREVAILING MEDICAL STANDARDS. Evidence |
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offered by either party for purposes of a hearing under this chapter |
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must be consistent with prevailing medical standards for the |
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diagnosis of intellectual disabilities. |
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Art. 46D.007. DETERMINATION BY JURY AND ORDER RELATED TO |
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INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY. (a) Except as provided by Subsection |
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(f), the judge shall empanel a jury solely for the purpose of |
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determining whether the defendant is a person with an intellectual |
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disability. The judge shall empanel the jury in the same manner as |
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a jury is empaneled by the court for a felony other than a capital |
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felony. |
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(b) After the conclusion of the hearing, the judge shall |
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instruct the jury to state in its verdict whether the defendant is a |
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person with an intellectual disability. |
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(c) The jury's verdict that the defendant is a person with |
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an intellectual disability must be unanimous. |
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(d) If the jury determines that the defendant is a person |
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with an intellectual disability, the judge shall issue an |
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appropriate order in accordance with this chapter that the |
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defendant is a person with an intellectual disability. |
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(e) If the jury does not determine that the defendant is a |
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person with an intellectual disability, the judge shall conduct the |
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trial of the offense in the same manner as if a hearing under this |
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chapter had not been held. At the trial: |
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(1) the trial jury may not be informed of the fact that |
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a hearing was held under this chapter; and |
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(2) the defendant may present evidence of intellectual |
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disability as otherwise permitted by law. |
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(f) The defendant may, with the consent of the attorney |
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representing the state, waive a hearing before a jury and request a |
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hearing before the judge under Article 46D.008. |
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Art. 46D.008. DETERMINATION BY JUDGE AND ORDER RELATED TO |
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INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY. (a) If a hearing before a jury is waived |
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in accordance with Article 46D.007(f), the hearing must be held |
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before the judge, outside the presence of a jury. |
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(b) As soon as practicable but not later than the 30th day |
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after the conclusion of a hearing under this article, the judge |
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shall determine whether the defendant is a person with an |
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intellectual disability and issue an appropriate order. The order |
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must contain findings of fact explaining the judge's reasoning for |
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the determination and citing evidence in the record. |
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(c) If the judge does not determine that the defendant is a |
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person with an intellectual disability, the judge shall conduct the |
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trial of the offense in the same manner as if a hearing under this |
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chapter had not been held. At the trial: |
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(1) the jury may not be informed of the fact that the |
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judge held a hearing under this chapter; and |
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(2) the defendant may present evidence of intellectual |
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disability as otherwise permitted by law. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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a trial that commences on or after the effective date of this Act, |
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regardless of whether the alleged offense was committed before, on, |
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or after that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |