Bill > SB761

This bill enhances the rights and protections for sexual assault victims within the Texas criminal justice system by making several key changes. The bill requires prosecutors to provide more detailed notifications to victims about court proceedings, plea bargain agreements, and their rights, including informing victims that the prosecutor does not represent them personally. It expands victims' rights to have an advocate present during investigative interviews, allowing victims to have an attorney present and ensuring that advocates can be present without unreasonably delaying the interview process. The bill also mandates that healthcare facilities document whether they offered victims the opportunity to have an advocate present during forensic medical examinations and clarifies the definition of consent in sexual assault cases. Additionally, the bill allows victims, their guardians, or close relatives to assert their rights either orally or in writing, and individually or through an attorney. These changes aim to provide more support, information, and agency to sexual assault victims throughout the criminal justice process, with the amendments applying only to crimes committed on or after the bill's effective date of September 1, 2025.