Relating to the creation of a family violence criminal homicide prevention task force.

89(R) HB 4155 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

89R14217 MZM-F

By: Manuel

H.B. No. 4155

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of a family violence criminal homicide

prevention task force.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 772.0065 to read as follows:

Sec.

772.0065.

FAMILY VIOLENCE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

PREVENTION TASK FORCE. (a)

In this section:

(1)

"Criminal homicide" means an offense under Chapter

19, Penal Code.

(2)

"Family violence" has the meaning assigned by

Section 71.004, Family Code.

(3)

"Steering committee" means the steering committee

of the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force

established by Subsection (c).

(4)

"Task force" means the Family Violence Criminal

Homicide Prevention Task Force established by this section.

(b)

The governor shall establish the Family Violence

Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force within the criminal justice

division established under Section 772.006.

(c)

The task force shall include a steering committee

composed of the following members:

(1) the governor or the governor's designee; and

(2)

the chief executive officer of a statewide family

violence advocacy organization or the chief executive officer's

designee.

(d)

The task force is composed of the following members

appointed by the steering committee:

(1)

four representatives who are employees or

contractors of a family violence center, as defined by Section

51.002, Human Resources Code, from different regions across the

state, representing both rural and urban areas;

(2)

two representatives of a statewide family violence

advocacy organization;

(3)

one representative from an organization that

operates statewide and provides legal services to victims of family

violence;

(4)

one representative from each state agency that has

duties relating to the prevention, investigation, or prosecution of

family violence or that provides services to survivors of family

violence, including:

(A) the office of the attorney general;

(B) the Health and Human Services Commission;

(C) the Office of Court Administration;

(D) the Department of State Health Services; and

(E)

the Department of Family and Protective

Services;

(5)

one representative from the family violence

program operated by the Health and Human Services Commission;

(6)

one representative from the Center for Violence

Prevention at The University of Texas Health Science Center at

Houston;

(7)

the president of the Texas District and County

Attorneys Association or the president's designee;

(8)

the executive director of the Texas Municipal

Police Association or the executive director's designee;

(9)

the executive director of the Texas Commission on

Law Enforcement or the executive director's designee;

(10)

one representative of the Texas Violent Death

Reporting System;

(11)

one representative from a domestic violence high

risk team described by Section 402.039;

(12) two survivors of family violence; and

(13)

additional members as considered appropriate by

the steering committee.

(e)

An appointed member serves at the pleasure of the

steering committee.

(f)

The governor shall designate one member of the task

force to serve as the presiding officer.

(g)

The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding

officer.

(h)

The task force shall use any available federal or state

funding for the purposes of this section.

(i)

The steering committee may establish one or more working

groups, composed of members of the task force, to focus on specific

issues regarding the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of

family violence criminal homicide.

(j) The task force shall:

(1)

analyze the top risk factors that may lead to

family violence criminal homicide;

(2)

advise and provide resources to state agencies and

nonprofit organizations to develop and improve training for

professionals who interact with survivors of family violence;

(3)

collect, analyze, and make publicly available

information, organized by region, regarding:

(A)

the prevention, investigation, and

prosecution of family violence criminal homicide and other family

violence offenses; and

(B)

services provided to family violence

survivors, including a list of family violence advocacy

organizations; and

(4)

develop policy recommendations to assist the state

in:

(A)

effectively coordinating services to family

violence survivors and funding to organizations that provide

services to survivors; and

(B)

more effectively preventing, investigating,

and prosecuting incidents of family violence criminal homicide.

(k)

Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the

task force.

(l)

A task force member who is not employed by a state agency

or an individual invited by the presiding officer to participate in

a scheduled task force meeting is entitled to:

(1)

a per diem in the amount provided by the General

Appropriations Act for each day the member performs duties as a task

force member or the individual attends a task force meeting; and

(2)

reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses

incurred in performing duties as a member or participant of the task

force, as applicable.

(m)

Not later than December 1, 2026, the task force shall

submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of

the house of representatives a written report containing the task

force's findings and recommendations for legislative or other

action.

(n)

The task force is abolished and this section expires

January 1, 2028.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.