HBA-RBT H.B. 1718 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1718
By: Dukes
Criminal Jurisprudence
4/21/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In August of 1998, there was $181.7 million dollars in the Crime Victims
Compensation Fund.  This fund was set up in 1979 to provide services for
victims of a crime.  Money deposited in this fund is collected by fines
levied on criminals.  State law prescribes that law enforcement officers
and prosecutor's offices must provide crime victims with crime-victim
liaisons and victim assistance coordinators, however the legislature did
not allocate funds to provide these services.  H.B. 1718 allows excess
funds in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund to be allocated for these
services and to provide victims with a transcript of their criminal trial. 
 
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Article 56.54(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended
by Chapter 1042 and 1434, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session,
1997, to make changes conforming to SECTION 2 of this Act. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Article 56.54, Code of Criminal Procedure, by adding
Subsections (j) and (k), to authorize the legislature to appropriate money
in the compensation to victims of crime fund to pay the salaries and
operating expenses of the victim assistance coordinators and the crime
victim liaisons.  Authorizes the attorney general to use the compensation
to victims of crime fund to pay the cost of providing a transcript of the
trial to the victim on the victim's request. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.