| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to change of venue in certain criminal cases involving a |
|
|
peace officer. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31A, Code of Criminal |
|
|
Procedure, is amended by adding Article 31A.0021 to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
Art. 31A.0021. CHANGE OF VENUE FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES |
|
|
COMMITTED BY PEACE OFFICERS. On a motion by the defendant the judge |
|
|
shall order a change of venue if the defendant: |
|
|
(1) Is a peace officer or was a peace officer at the |
|
|
time of the alleged offense; and |
|
|
(2) Has been charged with an offense allegedly |
|
|
committed under color of the defendant's employment as a peace |
|
|
officer. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|
|
to a defendant charged with an offense committed on or after the |
|
|
effective date of this Act. A defendant charged with an 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, an 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 immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |