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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a grant program to assist local law |
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enforcement agencies in solving violent and sexual offenses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 772.00791 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 772.00791. GRANT PROGRAM TO ASSIST LOCAL LAW |
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ENFORCEMENT IN SOLVING VIOLENT AND SEXUAL OFFENSES. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Clearance by arrest" means that, with respect to |
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an offense reported to a law enforcement agency, the agency: |
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(A) has: |
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(i) arrested and charged at least one |
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suspect with the commission of the offense; and |
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(ii) turned the suspect over to the court |
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for prosecution; or |
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(B) has cited an individual younger than 18 years |
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of age and required the individual to appear in juvenile court or |
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before another juvenile authority with respect to the offense, |
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regardless of whether an arrest occurred. |
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(2) "Clearance by exception" means that, with respect |
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to an offense reported to a law enforcement agency, the agency: |
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(A) has confirmed the suspect's identity; |
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(B) has sufficient evidence for arrest; |
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(C) knows the suspect's specific location; and |
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(D) has encountered factors beyond law |
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enforcement control that hinder the arrest, charging, and |
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prosecution of the suspect. |
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(3) "Clearance rate" means, with respect to an offense |
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or category of offense reported to a law enforcement agency, a |
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fraction: |
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(A) the numerator of which is the number of |
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offenses cleared by the agency through clearance by arrest and |
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clearance by exception; and |
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(B) the denominator of which is the total number |
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of offenses reported to the agency. |
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(4) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal |
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justice division established under Section 772.006. |
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(5) "Sexual offense" means an offense under any of the |
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following provisions of the Penal Code: |
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(A) Section 21.11 (indecency with a child); |
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(B) Section 22.011 (sexual assault); or |
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(C) Section 22.021 (aggravated sexual assault). |
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(6) "Violent offense" means an offense under any of |
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the following provisions of the Penal Code: |
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(A) Section 19.02 (murder); |
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(B) Section 19.03 (capital murder); |
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(C) Section 20.04 (aggravated kidnapping); |
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(D) Section 22.02(a)(2) (aggravated assault with |
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a deadly weapon); or |
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(E) Section 29.03 (aggravated robbery). |
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(b) This section applies only to a law enforcement agency |
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employing one or more peace officers described by Article 2A.001(1) |
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or (3), Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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(c) The criminal justice division shall establish and |
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administer a grant program through which a law enforcement agency |
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may apply for a grant designed to improve clearance rates for |
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violent and sexual offenses. |
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(d) The criminal justice division shall establish: |
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(1) eligibility criteria for grant applications; |
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(2) grant application procedures; |
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(3) guidelines relating to grant amounts; and |
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(4) procedures for evaluating grant applications. |
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(e) Grant money awarded under this section may be used to |
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pay for: |
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(1) hiring, training, and retaining personnel to: |
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(A) investigate violent and sexual offenses; |
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(B) collect, process, and forensically test |
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evidence; or |
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(C) analyze violent and sexual offenses, |
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including temporal and geographical trends; |
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(2) acquiring, upgrading, or replacing technology or |
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equipment related to evidence collection, evidence processing, or |
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forensic testing; and |
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(3) upgrading record management systems to achieve |
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compliance with the reporting requirements under Subsection (f). |
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(f) A law enforcement agency that receives a grant awarded |
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under the program annually shall report: |
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(1) the clearance rate and the percentage of the |
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clearance rate that is clearance by arrest and the percentage that |
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is clearance by exception for: |
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(A) violent offenses; |
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(B) sexual offenses; and |
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(C) each offense listed in Subsection (a)(5) or |
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(6); |
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(2) the average duration between the date of the |
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offense and the date of clearance for: |
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(A) violent offenses; |
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(B) sexual offenses; and |
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(C) each offense listed in Subsection (a)(5) or |
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(6); and |
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(3) the percentage of the grant amount used for each |
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authorized use listed in Subsection (e). |
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(g) The criminal justice division shall periodically |
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evaluate the practices employed by grant recipients to identify |
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policies and procedures that have successfully improved clearance |
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rates for violent and sexual offenses. The division may contract |
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with a third party to conduct an evaluation under this subsection. |
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(h) The criminal justice division shall include in the |
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biennial report required by Section 772.006(a)(9) a detailed |
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reporting of the results and performance of the grant program |
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administered under this section. |
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(i) A governmental entity may not reduce the amount of funds |
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provided to a law enforcement agency because the agency received a |
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grant under this section. |
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(j) The criminal justice division may use any revenue |
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available for purposes of this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |