HBA-RBT H.B. 3324 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3324
By: Gallego
Criminal Jurisprudence
4/16/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Victims of crime frequently need civil legal services in order to protect
themselves or family members from additional violence, to receive
protections, benefits, or services to which they are entitled, or to assist
in negotiations with landlords or creditors to avoid financial collapse
while they recover from the impact of the crime.  While the Victims of
Crime Compensation Fund will reimburse crime victims or family members for
certain expenses and may be used to fund state agencies that deliver or
fund certain victim services, the fund currently is not specifically
authorized to pay for civil legal service desperately needed by many crime
victims. 

H.B. 3324 authorizes the legislature to appropriate funds to the Supreme
Court of Texas for the funding of private Texas nonprofit corporations that
provide civil legal services that are directly related to the prevention of
or the amelioration of the effects of crime. 

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 Article 56.541(c), Code of Criminal Procedure, to
authorize the legislature to appropriate funds to the Supreme Court of
Texas for the funding of private Texas nonprofit corporations that provide
civil legal services that are directly related to the prevention of or the
amelioration of the effects of crime. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.