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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to reporting information regarding certain evidence |
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collection kits. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 420.034, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (h) and adding Subsection (i) to read as |
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follows: |
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(h) Not later than December 1 of each year, the department |
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shall submit a report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker |
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of the house of representatives, and members of the legislature |
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identifying the number of evidence collection kits: |
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(1) that have not yet been submitted for laboratory |
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analysis or for which the laboratory analysis has not yet been |
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completed, as applicable; and |
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(2) that a law enforcement agency did not take |
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possession of within the period required by Section 420.035(b) or |
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(c), as applicable. |
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(i) The annual report required by Subsection (h) must be |
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titled "Statewide Electronic Tracking System Report" and must be |
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posted on the department's publicly accessible Internet website. |
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SECTION 2. Section 351.257, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 351.257. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each |
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odd-numbered year, a response team shall provide to the |
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commissioners court of each county the response team serves a |
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report that includes: |
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(1) a list of response team members able to |
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participate in the quarterly meetings required by Section |
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351.254(c); |
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(2) a copy of the written protocol developed under |
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Section 351.256; and |
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(3) either: |
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(A) a biennial summary detailing: |
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(i) the number of sexual assault reports |
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received by local law enforcement agencies; |
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(ii) the number of investigations conducted |
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as a result of those reports; |
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(iii) the number of indictments presented |
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in connection with a report and the disposition of those cases; |
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[and] |
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(iv) the number of reports of sexual |
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assault for which no indictment was presented; and |
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(v) the number of evidence collection kits |
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described by Section 420.031, Government Code, that a law |
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enforcement agency did not take possession of within the period |
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required by Section 420.035(b) or (c), Government Code, as |
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applicable; or |
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(B) an explanation of the reason the response |
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team failed to provide the information described by Paragraph (A). |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |