Article I, Section 31 of the Texas Constitution ("Use of Crime Victim Funds")
Added November 4, 1997:
(a) The Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund created by general law and the Compensation to Victims of Crime Auxiliary Fund created by general law are each a separate dedicated account in the General Revenue Fund.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section and subject to legislative appropriation, money deposited to the credit of the Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund or the Compensation to Victims of Crime Auxiliary Fund from any source may be expended as provided by law only for delivering or funding victim-related compensation, services, or assistance.
(c) The Legislature may provide by law that money in the Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund or in the Compensation to Victims of Crime Auxiliary Fund may be expended for the purpose of assisting victims of episodes of mass violence if other money appropriated for emergency assistance is depleted.
Editor Comments
This section protects money in the Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund and the Compensation to Victims of Crime Auxiliary Fund.
Note that the Crime Victims' Compensation Act, enacted in 1979, is currently codified as Chapter 56B of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Recent Decisions
None.
Historic Decisions
None.
Library Resources
- Vernon's Annotated Constitution of the State of Texas (this multi-volume and up-to-date resource is available at all law libraries and many municipal libraries)
- The Texas State Constitution: A Reference Guide (this one-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)
- The Constitution of the State of Texas: An Annotated and Comparative Analysis (this two-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)
Online Resources
- Constitution of the State of Texas (1876) (this resource is published and maintained by the University of Texas School of Law)
- Amendments to the Texas Constitution Since 1876 (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Council)
- Reports Analyzing Proposed Amendments (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Reference Library)