85R9413 AJZ-F
 
  By: Huffman S.B. No. 1264
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to psychological counseling for certain grand jurors.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 56.04(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (f)  The commissioners court may approve a program in which
  the crime victim liaison or victim assistance coordinator may offer
  not more than 10 hours of post-investigation or posttrial
  psychological counseling for a person who serves as a grand juror,
  alternate grand juror, juror, or [an] alternate juror in a grand
  jury investigation or criminal trial involving graphic evidence or
  testimony and who requests the post-investigation or posttrial
  psychological counseling not later than the 180th day after the
  date on which the grand jury or jury [in the trial] is
  dismissed.  The crime victim liaison or victim assistance
  coordinator may provide the counseling using a provider that
  assists local criminal justice agencies in providing similar
  services to victims.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.003(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  Each person who reports for jury service shall be
  personally provided a form letter that when signed by the person
  directs the county treasurer to donate all, or a specific amount
  designated by the person, of the person's daily reimbursement under
  this chapter to:
               (1)  the compensation to victims of crime fund under
  Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure;
               (2)  the child welfare, child protective services, or
  child services board of the county appointed under Section 264.005,
  Family Code, that serves abused and neglected children;
               (3)  any program selected by the commissioners court
  that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and
  that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence;
               (4)  any other program approved by the commissioners
  court of the county, including a program established under Article
  56.04(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, that offers psychological
  counseling [to jurors] in criminal cases involving graphic evidence
  or testimony; or
               (5)  a veterans court program established by the
  commissioners court as provided by Chapter 124.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.