S.B. No. 1946
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of a family violence criminal homicide
  prevention task force.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 772.0065 to read as follows:
         Sec. 772.0065.  FAMILY VIOLENCE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE
  PREVENTION TASK FORCE. (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Criminal homicide" means an offense under Chapter
  19, Penal Code.
               (2)  "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 71.004, Family Code.
               (3)  "Steering committee" means the steering committee
  of the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force
  established by Subsection (c).
               (4)  "Task force" means the Family Violence Criminal
  Homicide Prevention Task Force established by this section.
         (b)  The governor shall establish the Family Violence
  Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force within the criminal justice
  division established under Section 772.006.
         (c)  The task force shall include a steering committee
  composed of the following members:
               (1)  the governor or the governor's designee; and
               (2)  the chief executive officer of a statewide family
  violence advocacy organization or the chief executive officer's
  designee.
         (d)  The task force is composed of the following members
  appointed by the governor:
               (1)  four representatives who are employees or
  contractors of a family violence center, as defined by Section
  51.002, Human Resources Code, from different regions across the
  state, representing both rural and urban areas;
               (2)  one representative from an organization that
  operates statewide and provides legal services to victims of family
  violence;
               (3)  one representative from each state agency that has
  duties relating to the prevention, investigation, or prosecution of
  family violence or that provides services to survivors of family
  violence, including:
                     (A)  the office of the attorney general;
                     (B)  the Health and Human Services Commission;
                     (C)  the Office of Court Administration;
                     (D)  the Department of State Health Services; and
                     (E)  the Department of Family and Protective
  Services;
               (4)  one representative from the family violence
  program operated by the Health and Human Services Commission;
               (5)  one representative from the Center for Violence
  Prevention at The University of Texas Health Science Center at
  Houston;
               (6)  the president of the Texas District and County
  Attorneys Association or the president's designee;
               (7)  the executive director of the Texas Municipal
  Police Association or the executive director's designee;
               (8)  the executive director of the Texas Commission on
  Law Enforcement or the executive director's designee;
               (9)  one representative of the Texas Violent Death
  Reporting System;
               (10)  one representative from a domestic violence high
  risk team described by Section 402.039;
               (11)  two survivors of family violence; 
               (12)  the governor or the governor's designee; 
               (13)  the chief executive officer of a statewide family
  violence advocacy organization or the chief executive officer's
  designee; and
               (14)  additional members as considered appropriate by
  the governor.
         (e)  An appointed member serves at the pleasure of the
  governor.
         (f)  The governor or the governor's designee shall serve as
  the presiding officer.
         (g)  The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding
  officer.
         (h)  The task force shall use any available federal or state
  funding for the purposes of this section.
         (i)  The steering committee may establish one or more working
  groups, composed of members of the task force, to focus on specific
  issues regarding the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of
  family violence criminal homicide.
         (j)  The task force shall:
               (1)  analyze the top risk factors that may lead to
  family violence criminal homicide;
               (2)  advise and provide resources to state agencies and
  nonprofit organizations to develop and improve training for
  professionals who interact with survivors of family violence;
               (3)  collect, analyze, and make publicly available
  information that is not privileged, confidential, or otherwise
  prohibited from disclosure by law, organized by region, regarding:
                     (A)  the prevention, investigation, and
  prosecution of family violence criminal homicide and other family
  violence offenses; and 
                     (B)  services provided to family violence
  survivors, including a list of family violence advocacy
  organizations; and
               (4)  develop policy recommendations to assist the state
  in:
                     (A)  effectively coordinating services to family
  violence survivors and funding to organizations that provide
  services to survivors; and
                     (B)  more effectively preventing, investigating,
  and prosecuting incidents of family violence criminal homicide.
         (k)  Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
  task force.
         (l)  A task force member who is not employed by a state agency
  or an individual invited by the presiding officer to participate in
  a scheduled task force meeting is entitled to:
               (1)  a per diem in the amount provided by the General
  Appropriations Act for each day the member performs duties as a task
  force member or the individual attends a task force meeting; and
               (2)  reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses
  incurred in performing duties as a member or participant of the task
  force, as applicable.
         (m)  Not later than December 1, 2026, the task force shall
  submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of
  the house of representatives a written report containing the task
  force's findings and recommendations for legislative or other
  action.
         (n)  The task force is abolished and this section expires
  January 1, 2028.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1946 passed the Senate on
  May 12, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1; and that the
  Senate concurred in House amendment on May 30, 2025, by the
  following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1946 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 75,
  Nays 55, three present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor