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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a prohibition on requiring a gift or grant to be made to |
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a district or county attorney or a commissioners court as a |
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condition of a defendant's pretrial intervention agreement. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 41, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 41.016 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 41.016. REQUEST FOR GIFTS AND GRANTS FOR CERTAIN |
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PURPOSES PROHIBITED. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Pretrial intervention agreement" includes an |
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agreement for the dismissal or reduction of a defendant's criminal |
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charges. |
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(2) "Prosecutor" means a county attorney, district |
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attorney, criminal district attorney, assistant county attorney, |
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assistant district attorney, or assistant criminal district |
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attorney. |
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(b) A prosecutor or a commissioners court may not include as |
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a condition in a pretrial intervention agreement that the defendant |
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or a person acting on behalf of the defendant make a gift or grant to |
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the office or the court. |
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(c) Soliciting or accepting a gift or grant in connection |
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with a defendant's pretrial intervention agreement constitutes a |
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violation of Section 36.06(a)(2), Penal Code. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 45, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 45.101 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 45.101. REQUEST FOR GIFT OR GRANT FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES |
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PROHIBITED. (a) For purposes of this subchapter, a county attorney |
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who is authorized to accept gifts or grants for the purpose of |
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assisting the operation of the office of county attorney may not |
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request or accept a gift or grant: |
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(1) as a condition of a defendant's pretrial |
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intervention agreement; or |
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(2) in exchange for the dismissal or reduction of |
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criminal charges brought against the defendant. |
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(b) A violation of this section constitutes a violation of |
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Section 36.06(a)(2), Penal Code. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |