S.B. No. 496
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the use of the judicial and court personnel training
  fund.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 56.003, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  Unless the legislature specifically appropriates or
  provides additional money for purposes of this subsection, the
  [The] court of criminal appeals may not use more than three percent
  of the money appropriated in any one fiscal year to hire staff and
  provide for the proper administration of this chapter.
         (g)  The court of criminal appeals shall grant legal funds to
  statewide professional associations and other entities that
  provide innocence training programs related to defendants' claims
  of factual innocence following conviction to law enforcement
  officers, law students, and other participants.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 56.004, Government Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The legislature shall appropriate funds from the
  judicial and court personnel training fund to the court of criminal
  appeals to provide for:
               (1)  continuing legal education, technical assistance,
  and other support programs for prosecuting attorneys and their
  personnel, criminal defense attorneys who regularly represent
  indigent defendants in criminal matters, and justices of the peace
  and their court personnel; and
               (2)  innocence training programs for law enforcement
  officers, law students, and other participants.
         SECTION 3.  Section 56.006, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 56.006.  RULES; OVERSIGHT.  (a)  The court of criminal
  appeals may adopt rules for programs relating to education and
  training for attorneys, judges, justices of the peace, district
  clerks, county clerks, law enforcement officers, law students,
  other participants, and court personnel, including court
  coordinators, as provided by Section 56.003 and for the
  administration of those programs, including rules that:
               (1)  require entities receiving a grant of funds to
  provide legislatively required training; and
               (2)  base the awarding of grant funds to an entity on
  qualitative information about the entity's programs or services and
  the entity's ability to meet financial performance standards.
         (b)  The court of criminal appeals, for the proper
  administration of this chapter and as part of its oversight of
  training programs for attorneys, judges, justices of the peace,
  district clerks, county clerks, law enforcement officers, law
  students, other participants, and court personnel, including court
  coordinators, as provided by Section 56.003, shall monitor both the
  financial performance and the program performance of entities
  receiving a grant of funds under this chapter.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 496 passed the Senate on
  March 28, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 496 passed the House on
  May 8, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, two present
  not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor