By: Perry, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) H.B. No. 899
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2013;
  May 9, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
  Justice; May 20, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0;
  May 20, 2013, sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 899 By:  Patrick
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to certain rights of victims, guardians of victims, and
  close relatives of deceased victims in the criminal justice system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Articles 56.02(a) and (c), Code of Criminal
  Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a
  deceased victim is entitled to the following rights within the
  criminal justice system:
               (1)  the right to receive from law enforcement agencies
  adequate protection from harm and threats of harm arising from
  cooperation with prosecution efforts;
               (2)  the right to have the magistrate take the safety of
  the victim or his family into consideration as an element in fixing
  the amount of bail for the accused;
               (3)  the right, if requested, to be informed:
                     (A)  by the attorney representing the state of
  relevant court proceedings, including appellate proceedings, and
  to be informed if those proceedings have been canceled or
  rescheduled prior to the event; and
                     (B)  by an appellate court of decisions of the
  court, after the decisions are entered but before the decisions are
  made public;
               (4)  the right to be informed, when requested, by a
  peace officer concerning the defendant's right to bail and the
  procedures in criminal investigations and by the district
  attorney's office concerning the general procedures in the criminal
  justice system, including general procedures in guilty plea
  negotiations and arrangements, restitution, and the appeals and
  parole process;
               (5)  the right to provide pertinent information to a
  probation department conducting a presentencing investigation
  concerning the impact of the offense on the victim and his family by
  testimony, written statement, or any other manner prior to any
  sentencing of the offender;
               (6)  the right to receive information regarding
  compensation to victims of crime as provided by Subchapter B,
  including information related to the costs that may be compensated
  under that subchapter and the amount of compensation, eligibility
  for compensation, and procedures for application for compensation
  under that subchapter, the payment for a medical examination under
  Article 56.06 for a victim of a sexual assault, and when requested,
  to referral to available social service agencies that may offer
  additional assistance;
               (7)  the right to be informed, upon request, of parole
  procedures, to participate in the parole process, to be notified,
  if requested, of parole proceedings concerning a defendant in the
  victim's case, to provide to the Board of Pardons and Paroles for
  inclusion in the defendant's file information to be considered by
  the board prior to the parole of any defendant convicted of any
  crime subject to this subchapter, and to be notified, if requested,
  of the defendant's release;
               (8)  the right to be provided with a waiting area,
  separate or secure from other witnesses, including the offender and
  relatives of the offender, before testifying in any proceeding
  concerning the offender; if a separate waiting area is not
  available, other safeguards should be taken to minimize the
  victim's contact with the offender and the offender's relatives and
  witnesses, before and during court proceedings;
               (9)  the right to prompt return of any property of the
  victim that is held by a law enforcement agency or the attorney for
  the state as evidence when the property is no longer required for
  that purpose;
               (10)  the right to have the attorney for the state
  notify the employer of the victim, if requested, of the necessity of
  the victim's cooperation and testimony in a proceeding that may
  necessitate the absence of the victim from work for good cause;
               (11)  the right to counseling, on request, regarding
  acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human
  immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and testing for acquired
  immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), human immunodeficiency virus
  (HIV) infection, antibodies to HIV, or infection with any other
  probable causative agent of AIDS, if the offense is an offense under
  Section 21.02, 21.11(a)(1), 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code;
               (12)  the right to request victim-offender mediation
  coordinated by the victim services division of the Texas Department
  of Criminal Justice;
               (13)  the right to be informed of the uses of a victim
  impact statement and the statement's purpose in the criminal
  justice system, to complete the victim impact statement, and to
  have the victim impact statement considered:
                     (A)  by the attorney representing the state and
  the judge before sentencing or before a plea bargain agreement is
  accepted; and
                     (B)  by the Board of Pardons and Paroles before an
  inmate is released on parole;
               (14)  to the extent provided by Articles 56.06 and
  56.065, for a victim of a sexual assault, the right to a forensic
  medical examination if, within 96 hours of the sexual assault, the
  assault is reported to a law enforcement agency or a forensic
  medical examination is otherwise conducted at a health care
  facility; [and]
               (15)  for a victim of an assault or sexual assault who
  is younger than 17 years of age or whose case involves family
  violence, as defined by Section 71.004, Family Code, the right to
  have the court consider the impact on the victim of a continuance
  requested by the defendant; if requested by the attorney
  representing the state or by counsel for the defendant, the court
  shall state on the record the reason for granting or denying the
  continuance; and
               (16)  if the offense is a capital felony, the right to:
                     (A)  receive by mail from the court a written
  explanation of defense-initiated victim outreach if the court has
  authorized expenditures for a defense-initiated victim outreach
  specialist;
                     (B)  not be contacted by the victim outreach
  specialist unless the victim, guardian, or relative has consented
  to the contact by providing a written notice to the court; and
                     (C)  designate a victim service provider to
  receive all communications from a victim outreach specialist acting
  on behalf of any person.
         (c)  The office of the attorney representing the state, and
  the sheriff, police, and other law enforcement agencies shall
  ensure to the extent practicable that a victim, guardian of a
  victim, or close relative of a deceased victim is afforded the
  rights granted by [Subsection (a) of] this article and, on request,
  an explanation of those rights.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
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