Bill Text: TX SB1243 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the offense of improper contact with an adult victim of a criminal offense and providing certain rights to a victim and the victim's family regarding contact by an inmate or an inmate's representative.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-13 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB1243 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-SB1243-Introduced.html
  85R507 JRR-D
 
  By: Rodríguez S.B. No. 1243
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of the offense of improper contact with an
  adult victim of a criminal offense and providing certain rights to a
  victim and the victim's family regarding contact by an inmate or an
  inmate's representative.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 56.02, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
         (b-1)  If a defendant is sentenced to a term of imprisonment
  in a facility operated by or under contract with the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice, a victim, guardian of a victim, or
  close relative of a deceased victim is entitled under Section
  500.009, Government Code, to consent to contact or to request no
  contact from the defendant or the defendant's representatives,
  including family members, friends, attorneys, and other third
  parties working on behalf of the defendant.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 500, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Section 500.009 to read as follows:
         Sec. 500.009.  CONTACT BY INMATE OR INMATE'S REPRESENTATIVE
  WITH VICTIM OR CERTAIN OTHER PERSONS. (a) In this section:
               (1)  "Close relative of a deceased victim," "guardian
  of a victim," and "victim" have the meanings assigned by Article
  56.01, Code of Criminal Procedure.
               (2)  "Inmate" means the defendant in the victim's case
  who is sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a facility operated by
  or under contract with the department.
               (3)  "Inmate's representative" means any third party
  working on behalf of an inmate, including a family member of, friend
  of, or attorney for the inmate.
         (b)  A victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a
  deceased victim has the right to consent to contact or to request no
  contact from an inmate or an inmate's representatives.
         (c)  An inmate or an inmate's representative:
               (1)  shall determine whether a victim, guardian of a
  victim, or close relative of a deceased victim has consented to
  contact or requested no contact from the inmate or the inmate's
  representatives before contacting the victim, guardian of the
  victim, or close relative of the deceased victim; and
               (2)  may not contact a victim, guardian of a victim, or
  close relative of a deceased victim if no contact from the inmate or
  the inmate's representatives was requested.
         (d)  If the department is notified or otherwise becomes aware
  that an inmate or an inmate's representative contacted a victim,
  guardian of a victim, or close relative of a deceased victim in
  violation of this section, the department shall:
               (1)  document the violation in the inmate's file; and
               (2)  forward documentation of the violation, including
  documentation of whether the inmate was aware of the violation, to
  the appropriate parole panel when the inmate is being considered
  for release on parole or to mandatory supervision.
         (e)  A victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a
  deceased victim who consents to contact or requests no contact from
  the inmate or the inmate's representatives may change that election
  by contacting the victim services division of the department.
         (f)  The department shall post on the department's Internet
  website as part of the Offender Information Details section of the
  website, or on another similar section of the website that displays
  information about inmates imprisoned in facilities operated by or
  under contract with the department, whether a victim, guardian of a
  victim, or close relative of a deceased victim consented to contact
  or requested no contact from the inmate or the inmate's
  representatives.
         SECTION 3.  Section 498.0042, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsections (a) and (b) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The department shall adopt policies that prohibit an
  inmate in the institutional division or in a transfer facility from
  contacting by letter, telephone, or any other means, either
  directly or indirectly, a victim of the offense for which the inmate
  is serving a sentence or a member of the victim's family, if:
               (1)  the victim was younger than 17 years of age at the
  time of the commission of the offense; and
               (2)  the department has not, before the inmate makes
  contact:
                     (A)  received written and dated consent to the
  contact from:
                           (i)  a parent of the victim or the member of
  the victim's family, other than the inmate;
                           (ii)  a legal guardian of the victim or the
  member of the victim's family; or
                           (iii)  the victim or the member of the
  victim's family, if the victim is 17 years of age or older at the
  time of giving the consent; and
                     (B)  provided the inmate with a copy of the
  consent.
         (a-1)  The department shall adopt policies that prohibit an
  inmate in the institutional division or in a transfer facility from
  contacting by letter, telephone, or any other means, either
  directly or indirectly, a victim of the offense for which the inmate
  is serving a sentence or a member of the victim's family, if:
               (1)  the victim was 17 years of age or older at the time
  of the commission of the offense;
               (2)  the inmate is confined after being convicted of an
  offense listed in Article 17.032(a) or 62.001(5), Code of Criminal
  Procedure, or after being convicted of an offense for which the
  judgment contains an affirmative finding under Article 42A.054(c)
  or (d), Code of Criminal Procedure; and
               (3)  the department has not, before the inmate makes
  contact:
                     (A)  received written and dated consent to the
  contact from the victim; and
                     (B)  provided the inmate with a copy of the
  consent.
         (b)  If, during the actual term of imprisonment of an inmate
  in the institutional division or a transfer facility, the inmate
  violates a policy adopted under Subsection (a) or (a-1) or an order
  entered under Article 42.24, Code of Criminal Procedure, the
  department shall forfeit all or any part of the inmate's accrued
  good conduct time.  The department may not restore good conduct
  time forfeited under this subsection.
         SECTION 4.  Section 508.1531, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 508.1531.  CONTACT WITH VICTIM.  A parole panel
  considering the release of an inmate on parole or to mandatory
  supervision may consider whether the inmate:
               (1)  violated a policy adopted by the department under
  Section 498.0042(a) or (a-1) or a court order entered under Article
  42.24, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
               (2)  engaged in, or directed another person to engage
  in, conduct that violates Section 500.009.
         SECTION 5.  Sections 38.111(a) and (b), Penal Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person commits an offense if the person, while
  confined in a correctional facility after being charged with or
  convicted of an offense listed in Article 17.032(a) or 62.001(5),
  Code of Criminal Procedure, or after being convicted of an offense
  for which the judgment contains an affirmative finding under
  Article 42A.054(c) or (d), Code of Criminal Procedure, contacts by
  letter, telephone, or any other means, either directly or through a
  third party, a victim of the offense or a member of the victim's
  family, if [:
               [(1)     the victim was younger than 17 years of age at the
  time of the commission of the offense for which the person is
  confined; and
               [(2)]  the director of the correctional facility has
  not, before the person makes contact with the victim:
               (1) [(A)]  received written and dated consent to the
  contact from:
                     (A)  the victim, if the victim was 17 years of age
  or older at the time  of the commission of the offense for which the
  person is confined; or
                     (B)  if the victim was younger than 17 years of age
  at the time of the commission of the offense for which the person is
  confined:
                           (i)  a parent of the victim;
                           (ii)  a legal guardian of the victim;
                           (iii)  the victim, if the victim is 17 years
  of age or older at the time of giving the consent; or
                           (iv)  a member of the victim's family who is
  17 years of age or older; and
               (2) [(B)]  provided the person with a copy of the
  consent.
         (b)  The person confined in a correctional facility may not
  give the written consent required under Subsection (a)(1)
  [(a)(2)(A)].
         SECTION 6.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
  An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
  purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
  effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
  before that date.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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