Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

_______ C RIMINAL
RIMINAL JUSTICE
USTICE/Domestic /Domestic Violence
Training to Help Victims of Domestic Violence - H.B. 1175
by Representatives Raymond and Naishtat
Senate Sponsor: Senator Zaffirini
77 th Texas Legislature
Victims of domestic violence are impacted not only in their family life, but often in their work life. A financial
assistance recipient who is being victimized at home may have difficulty successfully entering the
workforce.
Requires a financial assistance counselor of the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of the
Attorney General (OAG), Texas Workforce Commission, and local workforce development boards to
receive not less than four hours of training on domestic violence.
Requires DHS or OAG, before recommending or applying a sanction or penalty based on failure of an
individual to cooperate in establishing paternity or comply with work requirements, to make reasonable
attempts to contact the individual to determine the cause of the failure to cooperate or comply.
Requires DHS or OAG, if it determines that family violence contributed to the failure to cooperate or
comply, to ensure that a person trained in family violence issues interviews the individual to identify the
types of services necessary to assist the individual in safely and successfully entering the workforce.
Training Related to Dual Arrests & Dominant Aggressor Determination - H.B. 3491
by Representative Hinojosa
Senate Sponsor: Senator Moncrief
Family violence is the deliberate, often repetitive, physical abuse by one family member against another. In
some cases of alleged family violence, police officers may be unable to identify the primary aggressor in
the incident and will arrest all parties involved. As a result, victims of the incident are disqualified from
receiving crime victim compensation, access to emergency shelters, and other public benefits.
Requires training for officers and recruits in the investigation of cases involving family violence, including
instruction in preventing dual arrests and conducting a thorough investigation to determine which person is
the predominant aggressor when allegations of family violence from two or more opposing persons arise
from the same incident.
Senate Research Center 40