HBA-KMH H.B. 894 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 894
By: Howard
Criminal Jurisprudence
3/5/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a court may only order a probationer to pay fines, court costs,
restitution to the victim, or other payment expressly authorized by statute
as a term and condition of probation.  Requiring offenders to pay
restitution to organizations that provide assistance to victims of crimes
similar to that of the offender may serve as an effective deterrent and
help fund these organizations.  H.B. 894 authorizes a judge to require a
person convicted of family violence and granted community supervision to
pay up to $100 to a local family violence shelter area that receives state
or federal funds. 

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 Section 11, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure,
by adding Subsection (g), as follows: 

(g) Authorizes a judge to require a person to make one payment in an amount
not to exceed $100 to a family violence shelter center that receives state
or federal funds and is located in an area served by the court, if the
judge has granted community supervision to the person, and the offense for
which the person was convicted is determined to have involved family
violence and to be an offense under Title 5 (Offenses Against the Person),
Penal Code. 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.