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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the amount of certain awards under the Crime Victims' |
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Compensation Act. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Articles 56B.106(b) and (e), Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) In addition to an award payable under Subsection (a), |
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the attorney general may award not more than $100,000 [$75,000] for |
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extraordinary pecuniary loss if the personal injury to a victim is |
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catastrophic and results in a total and permanent disability to the |
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victim. An award described by this subsection may be made for lost |
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wages and the reasonable and necessary costs of: |
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(1) making a home or motor vehicle accessible; |
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(2) obtaining job training and vocational |
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rehabilitation; |
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(3) training in the use of a special appliance; |
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(4) receiving home health care; |
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(5) durable medical equipment; |
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(6) rehabilitation technology; and |
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(7) long-term medical expenses incurred as a result of |
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medically indicated treatment for the personal injury. |
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(e) The attorney general by rule may establish a limitation |
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on any other pecuniary loss compensated under this chapter, |
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including a limitation on pecuniary loss incurred as a result of a |
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claimant's travel to and attendance of a deceased victim's funeral. |
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A limitation established under this subsection on pecuniary loss |
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incurred for funeral and burial expenses, including expenses |
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related to a claimant's travel to and attendance of a deceased |
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victim's funeral, may not be less than $9,000. |
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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, 2025. |