Bill Text: TX HB2572 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the qualifications of certain experts authorized to examine a defendant and testify as to the issue of the defendant's sanity or insanity in a criminal case.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-05-01 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2572 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB2572-Introduced.html
83R4297 MEW-F | ||
By: McClendon | H.B. No. 2572 |
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relating to the qualifications of certain experts authorized to | ||
examine a defendant and testify as to the issue of the defendant's | ||
sanity or insanity in a criminal case. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Articles 46C.102(a) and (b), Code of Criminal | ||
Procedure, are amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The court may appoint qualified psychiatrists or | ||
psychologists as experts under this chapter. To qualify for | ||
appointment under this subchapter as an expert, a psychiatrist or | ||
psychologist must: | ||
(1) as appropriate, be a physician licensed in this | ||
state or be a psychologist licensed in this state who has a doctoral | ||
degree in psychology; and | ||
(2) have the following certification [ |
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or training: | ||
(A) as appropriate, certification by: | ||
(i) the American Board of Psychiatry and | ||
Neurology with added or special qualifications in forensic | ||
psychiatry; or | ||
(ii) the American Board of Professional | ||
Psychology in forensic psychology; or | ||
(B) [ |
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(i) at least 24 hours of specialized | ||
forensic training relating to incompetency or insanity | ||
evaluations; and | ||
(ii) at least [ |
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[ |
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education relating to forensic evaluations, completed in the 12 | ||
months preceding the appointment [ |
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(b) In addition to meeting qualifications required by | ||
Subsection (a), to be appointed as an expert a psychiatrist or | ||
psychologist must have completed a total of six hours of approved | ||
[ |
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psychiatry or psychology[ |
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preceding the appointment. | ||
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a | ||
defendant against whom proceedings are initiated under Chapter 46C, | ||
Code of Criminal Procedure, before, on, or after the effective date | ||
of this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |