Sec. 420.008. SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM FUND. (a) The sexual assault program fund is a special account in the general revenue fund.

(b) The fund consists of:

(1) fees and fines collected under:

(A) Article 42A.653(a), Code of Criminal Procedure;

(B) Section 508.189, Government Code; and

(C) Subchapter B, Chapter 102, Business & Commerce Code, and deposited under Section 102.054 of that code; and

(2) administrative penalties collected under Section 51.258, Education Code.

(c) The legislature may appropriate money deposited to the credit of the fund only to:

(1) the attorney general, for:

(A) sexual violence awareness and prevention campaigns;

(B) grants to faith-based groups, independent school districts, and community action organizations for programs for the prevention of sexual assault and programs for victims of human trafficking;

(C) grants for equipment for sexual assault nurse examiner programs, to support the preceptorship of future sexual assault nurse examiners, and for the continuing education of sexual assault nurse examiners;

(D) grants to increase the level of sexual assault services in this state;

(E) grants to support victim assistance coordinators;

(F) grants to support technology in rape crisis centers;

(G) grants to and contracts with a statewide nonprofit organization exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, having as a primary purpose ending sexual violence in this state, for programs for the prevention of sexual violence, outreach programs, and technical assistance to and support of youth and rape crisis centers working to prevent sexual violence;

(H) grants to regional nonprofit providers of civil legal services to provide legal assistance for sexual assault victims;

(I) grants to prevent sex trafficking and to provide services for victims of sex trafficking; and

(J) grants to carry out the purpose of this chapter, including standardizing the quality of services provided, preventing sexual assault, and improving services to survivors of sexual assault;

(2) the Department of State Health Services, to measure the prevalence of sexual assault in this state and for grants to support programs assisting victims of human trafficking;

(3) the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault or the Bureau of Business Research at The University of Texas at Austin, to conduct research on all aspects of sexual assault and domestic violence;

(4) Texas State University, for training and technical assistance to independent school districts for campus safety;

(5) the office of the governor, for grants to support sexual assault and human trafficking prosecution projects;

(6) the department, to support sexual assault training for commissioned officers;

(7) the comptroller's judiciary section, for increasing the capacity of the sex offender civil commitment program;

(8) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice:

(A) for pilot projects for monitoring sex offenders on parole; and

(B) for increasing the number of adult incarcerated sex offenders receiving treatment;

(9) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, for increasing the number of incarcerated juvenile sex offenders receiving treatment;

(10) the comptroller, for the administration of the fee imposed on sexually oriented businesses under Section 102.052, Business & Commerce Code;

(11) the supreme court, to be transferred to the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, or a similar entity, to provide victim-related legal services to sexual assault victims, including legal assistance with protective orders, relocation-related matters, victim compensation, and actions to secure privacy protections available to victims under law;

(12) any state agency or organization for the purpose of conducting human trafficking enforcement programs; and

(13) any other designated state agency for the purpose of preventing sexual assault or improving services for victims of sexual assault.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 805, Sec. 12, eff. Aug. 30, 1993. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 12.18, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 44.0061 and amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 784, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1206 (H.B. 1751), Sec. 5, eff. January 1, 2008.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 11.004, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 448 (H.B. 7), Sec. 14, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 95, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 770 (H.B. 2299), Sec. 2.44, eff. January 1, 2017.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 958 (S.B. 212), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2019.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1352 (S.B. 346), Sec. 4.33, eff. January 1, 2020.