2023 Texas Statutes › Government Code › Title 7 - Intergovernmental Relations › Chapter 772 - Governmental Planning › Subchapter A. Planning Entities › Section 772.0064. Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force

Sec. 772.0064.  SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS' TASK FORCE.  (a)  In this section:
(1)  "Sexual assault," "sexual assault nurse examiner," and "survivor" have the meanings assigned by Section 420.003.
(2)  "Task force" means the Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force.
(b)  The governor shall establish the Sexual Assault Survivors' 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;
(2)  the president of the state sexual assault coalition, as defined by Section 420.003, or the president's designee; and
(3)  the president of the statewide organization described by Section 264.409, Family Code, or the president's designee.
(d)  The task force is composed of the following members:
(1)  the governor or the governor's designee;
(2)  a representative of each state agency that has duties relating to the prevention, investigation, or prosecution of sexual assault or other sex offenses or provides services to survivors, including:
(A)  the office of the attorney general;
(B)  the Health and Human Services Commission; and
(C)  the Department of Family and Protective Services;
(3)  the executive director of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement or the executive director's designee;
(4)  the presiding officer of the Texas Forensic Science Commission or the presiding officer's designee;
(5)  the division director of the law enforcement support division of the Texas Department of Public Safety with authority over the Crime Laboratory Service or the division director's designee;
(6)  the president of the Texas Association of Crime Laboratory Directors or the president's designee;
(7)  the president of the Texas District and County Attorney's Association or the president's designee;
(8)  the president of the International Association of Forensic Nurses Texas Chapter or the president's designee;
(9)  the president of the statewide organization described by Section 264.409, Family Code, or the president's designee;
(10)  the president of the state sexual assault coalition, as defined by Section 420.003, or the president's designee;
(11)  a representative from a law enforcement agency appointed by the steering committee described by Subsection (c);
(12)  a sexual assault nurse examiner appointed by the steering committee described by Subsection (c) to represent the interests of health care facilities that perform sexual assault forensic exams;
(13)  an adult survivor of child sexual abuse or the parent or guardian of a survivor of child sexual abuse;
(14)  a survivor of adult sexual assault; and
(15)  other members considered appropriate by the steering committee described by Subsection (c).
(e)  An appointed member serves at the pleasure of the appointing official.
(f)  The governor is the presiding officer of the task force.
(g)  The task force shall meet at the call of the governor.
(h)  The steering committee shall:
(1)  create within the task force:
(A)  a working group focusing on survivors who are children; and
(B)  a working group focusing on survivors who are adults;
(2)  ensure that the task force identifies systemic issues and solutions pertaining to survivors of all ages;
(3)  ensure that the task force does not unnecessarily duplicate existing standards, information, and protocol in preventing, investigating, prosecuting, and responding to sexual assault and other sex offenses; and
(4)  review and approve all task force reports, recommendations, resources, protocols, advice, and other information before release.
(i)  The task force shall:
(1)  develop policy recommendations to allow the state to:
(A)  effectively coordinate funding for services to child and adult survivors; and
(B)  better prevent, investigate, and prosecute incidents of sexual assault and other sex offenses;
(2)  facilitate communication and cooperation between state agencies that have duties relating to the prevention, investigation, or prosecution of sexual assault or other sex offenses or services provided to survivors in order to identify and coordinate state resources available for assisting survivors;
(3)  collect, analyze, and make publicly available information, organized by region, regarding the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of sexual assault and other sex offenses and services provided to survivors, including a list of SAFE-ready facilities designated under Section 323.0015, Health and Safety Code;
(4)  make and periodically update recommendations regarding the collection, preservation, tracking, analysis, and destruction of evidence in cases of sexual assault or other sex offenses, including recommendations:
(A)  to the attorney general regarding:
(i)  evidence collection kits for use in the collection and preservation of evidence of sexual assault or other sex offenses;
(ii)  protocols for the collection and preservation of evidence of sexual assault or other sex offenses;
(iii)  the curriculum for training programs on collecting and preserving evidence of sexual assault and other sex offenses; and
(iv)  the requirements for certification of sexual assault nurse examiners; and
(B)  to other appropriate individuals or organizations, regarding:
(i)  the procedures for obtaining patient authorization for forensic medical examinations of child and adult survivors under Subchapters F and G, Chapter 56A, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(ii)  the requirements for maintaining an appropriate evidentiary chain of custody;
(iii)  the identification and reporting of untested evidence throughout the state; and
(iv)  standards for the submission of evidence to forensic laboratories for analysis, including procedures for submitting evidence in cases for which no evidence has been previously submitted or tested;
(5)  advise and provide resources to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and other law enforcement organizations to improve law enforcement officer training related to the investigation and documentation of cases involving sexual assault and other sex offenses, with a focus on the interactions between law enforcement officers and survivors;
(6)  provide to law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and judges with jurisdiction over sexual assault or other sex offense cases information and resources to maximize effective and empathetic investigation, prosecution, and hearings, including information and resources:
(A)  regarding trauma-informed practices and the dynamics and effects of sexual assault and other sex offenses on child and adult survivors;
(B)  intended to improve the understanding of and the response to sexual assault or other sex offenses;
(C)  regarding best practices in the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault or other sex offenses; and
(D)  for judges regarding common issues in the criminal trials of sexual assault and other sex offenses;
(7)  biennially contract for a survey of the resources provided to survivors by nonprofit organizations, health care facilities, institutions of higher education, sexual assault response teams, and other governmental entities in each region of the state;
(8)  make recommendations as necessary to improve the collecting and reporting of data on the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault and other sex offenses; and
(9)  develop a statewide standard for best practices in the funding and provision of services to survivors by nonprofit organizations, health care facilities, institutions of higher education, sexual assault response teams, and other governmental entities.
(j)  Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, the task force shall analyze the data from the survey performed under Subsection (i), prepare a report, or contract with a private entity for the preparation of a report, and submit to the legislature the report, which must include:
(1)  a description of the resources provided to child and adult survivors by nonprofit organizations, health care facilities, institutions of higher education, sexual assault response teams, and governmental entities in each region of the state;
(2)  a description of the differences between the resources provided to both child and adult survivors and the statewide standard, comparable by region and by year;
(3)  recommendations on measures the state and each region could take to better comply with the statewide standard;
(4)  a description of potential sources and mechanisms of funding available to implement the recommendations; and
(5)  recommendations for accomplishing policy goals.
(k)  To the extent possible, all recommendations, standards, and resource information provided by the task force must be evidence-based and consistent with standards of practice and care in this state and throughout the country.
(l)  The task force shall use any available federal or state funding for the purposes of this section.
(m)  Chapter 2110 does not apply to the composition or duration of the task force or to the designation of the task force's presiding officer.
(n)  A task force member who is not employed by a state agency or an individual invited by the governor to participate in scheduled task force meetings 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.
Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 411 (H.B. 1590), Sec. 3, eff. June 4, 2019.
Amended by:
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 915 (H.B. 3607), Sec. 9.013, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 460 (S.B. 1402), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.