The House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence has released its interim report to the 89th Legislature. The report covers the implementation of legislation from prior sessions and includes recommendations for protecting survivors against crimes of abusers. Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo) did not sign the report and submitted a statement included in the appendix. Committee Vice Chair David Cook (R-Mansfield) and Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) also submitted a statement included in the appendix. See below for a spotlight on recommendations from the report.
Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature
- Consider pretrial costs in rogue prosecutor petitions – The Legislature should consider whether and how pretrial costs could be charged against a bad actor for filing such a pleading
- Decriminalize fentanyl testing strips
- Eliminate all TXDL resuspensions – Language from HB 842 should be made forward-looking
- Collect victim info for restitution – The Legislature should explore options for better connecting victims with later restitution payments while also protecting their privacy rights.
- Study the application of existing laws to private racing events – The 89th Legislature should study enforcement gaps related to these events.
- Implement further theft of service notice reform
- Clarify DNA database laws – The Legislature should develop a uniform method for informing clerks that a record exists when a dismissal or similar relief is granted, and our statute should thoroughly define the outcomes that entitle a person to the deletion of their record.
Protecting Survivors Against Crimes of Abusers
- Expand education & intervention efforts
- Address funding issues
- Overhaul our foster care system
- Explore reforms to the duress defense
- Expand post-conviction relief for trafficking victims
