HB3745

Regular Session

Relating to crime victims' compensation.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-06-20

Enforcing Agencies

Office of the Attorney General (Crime Victims' Compensation Program)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).
Compliance Deadline: Immediate. The law applies strictly to criminally injurious conduct occurring on or after June 20, 2025.
Agency Rulemaking: No formal rulemaking is required for the law to take effect. However, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will likely update internal claims processing guidelines immediately to recognize the waiver of caps.

Immediate Action Plan

1. Update Crisis Protocols: Revise HR checklists for workplace violence to include immediate referral to the CVC program with the notation that "hardship proof is waived" during declared emergencies.
2. Review Release Forms: Ensure standard settlement release templates include language regarding state subrogation for Crime Victims' Compensation payments.
3. Monitor OAG Guidance: Watch for OAG bulletins regarding the specific application process for "Section 433.001" claims to ensure your HR team provides accurate application links.
4. Healthcare Providers: If you are a medical or funeral service provider, update billing workflows to flag "State of Emergency" victims for expedited "pending state payment" status.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Settlement Agreements: If your business negotiates a settlement with a victim's family following a workplace violence incident, your release forms must account for these emergency awards. Because the State is disbursing funds rapidly without a final ruling, the State retains subrogation rights. Ensure your settlement agreements acknowledge the State’s potential lien on proceeds to recoup CVC payments.

Hiring/Training

Crisis Response Teams (HR & Legal): Update your "Family Assistance" scripts for active shooter or mass casualty scenarios. HR staff must be trained to inform surviving families that if the Governor declares a State of Emergency (under Gov. Code 433.001), they are eligible for *immediate* emergency state funds without proving financial hardship.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Internal Documentation: No new state filings are required. However, your legal team must track and document the specific Governor’s Proclamation number associated with any mass casualty event at your facility. Providing this reference number to victims' families will be the primary mechanism to trigger the expedited OAG review.

Fees & Costs

No Direct Cost: There are no new fees or taxes imposed on businesses. This legislation impacts the disbursement of existing state funds.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Scope of "State of Emergency": The law ties the waiver specifically to Section 433.001 of the Government Code (typically riots, insurrections, or massive public safety threats). It is unclear if the OAG will extend this waiver to broader "Disaster Declarations" (e.g., looting following a hurricane). Guidance: Assume this waiver applies *only* to events where a specific Section 433.001 proclamation is issued, not standard natural disasters.

"Uncapped" Emergency Awards: The statute states that standard limitations on emergency awards "do not apply." While this legally removes the statutory cap, it is highly probable the OAG will establish an internal policy cap to protect fund solvency. Guidance: Do not advise families that funding is "unlimited"; advise them that the *statutory* cap is lifted, but administrative discretion remains.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsCrime Victims Compensation Crime Victims

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3745

By: Manuel

Appropriations

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The attorney general's crime victims' compensation (CVC) program exists to provide financial assistance to individuals who have suffered losses due to a violent crime. However, current state law imposes certain limitations on the attorney general's authority to make emergency awards under the program, which can delay much-needed financial relief for crime victims and their families. The bill author has informed the committee that these limitations may cause economic hardship for victims facing extraordinary circumstances, such as victims affected by crimes committed during a state of emergency. H.B. 3745 seeks to address these issues and enhance the responsiveness of the CVC program by authorizing the attorney general to make emergency awards without certain limitations in cases involving a deceased victim and criminal conduct that resulted in a proclaimed state of emergency.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3745 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to revise the authorization for the attorney general, before acting on an application for compensation under the Crime Victims' Compensation Act, to make an emergency award if it appears likely that a final award will be made and the claimant or victim will suffer undue hardship if immediate economic relief is not obtained by doing the following:

·extending the period during which the attorney general may make an emergency award by removing the specification that the attorney general may make an emergency award only before acting on an application for compensation; and

·specifying that such an emergency award is for anticipated pecuniary losses.

The bill establishes that the following limitations on emergency awards do not apply to an application for compensation under the Crime Victims' Compensation Act made by a claimant in relation to a deceased victim and arising from criminally injurious conduct that resulted in a proclaimed state of emergency under applicable Government Code provisions:

·the limitation establishing that the attorney general may make an emergency award only if it appears likely that a final award will be made; and

·the requirement for the amount of an emergency award to be deducted from the final award or repaid by and recoverable from the claimant or victim to the extent the emergency award exceeds the final reward.

H.B. 3745 applies only to compensation for criminally injurious conduct occurring on or after the bill's effective date. Compensation for criminally injurious conduct occurring before the bill's effective date is governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For these purposes, criminally injurious conduct occurred before the bill's effective date if any element of the offense underlying the conduct occurred before that date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

House Authors

Rep. Christian ManuelDemocrat · Primary Author

Joint Authors

Senate Sponsor

Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDemocrat · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

H.B. No. 3745

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to crime victims' compensation.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Article 56B.102, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
	amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to
	read as follows:
	(a) The [~~Before acting on an application for compensation~~
	~~under this chapter, the~~] attorney general may make an emergency
	award for anticipated pecuniary losses if it appears likely that:
	(1) a final award will be made; and
	(2) the claimant or victim will suffer undue hardship
	if immediate economic relief is not obtained.
	(d) The limitations on emergency awards described by
	Subsections (a)(1) and (c) do not apply to an application for
	compensation under this chapter:
	(1) made by a claimant in relation to a deceased
	victim; and
	(2) arising from criminally injurious conduct that
	resulted in a proclaimed state of emergency under Section 433.001,
	Government Code.
	SECTION 2. Article 56B.102, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
	amended by this Act, applies only to compensation for criminally
	injurious conduct occurring on or after the effective date of this
	Act. Compensation for criminally injurious conduct occurring
	before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
	effect on the date the conduct occurred, and the former law is
	continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section,
	criminally injurious conduct occurred before the effective date of
	this Act if any element of the offense underlying the conduct
	occurred before that date.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 14, 2025

TO:	Honorable Greg Bonnen, Chair, House Committee on Appropriations

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB3745 by Manuel (Relating to crime victims' compensation.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would allow the Office of the Attorney General to make an emergency award for anticipated pecuniary losses if the application is related to a deceased victim and arises from criminally injurious conduct that resulted in a proclaimed state of emergency.

It is assumed that any additional costs to the Crime Victims Compensation program associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

302 Office of the Attorney General, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts

LBB Staff:

JMc, KK, LCO, JKe

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HB3745

What does Texas HB3745 do?

HB3745 removes bureaucratic barriers to accessing the Crime Victims’ Compensation (CVC) Fund for families of deceased victims during mass casualty events declared as a State of Emergency. For employers, this significantly alters Crisis Response protocols by allowing HR teams to facilitate immediate, uncapped emergency financial aid for surviving families without the standard "undue hardship" proof. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).

Who authored HB3745?

HB3745 was authored by Texas Representative Christian Manuel during the Regular Session.

When was HB3745 signed into law?

HB3745 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce HB3745?

HB3745 is enforced by Office of the Attorney General (Crime Victims' Compensation Program).

How urgent is compliance with HB3745?

The compliance urgency for HB3745 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of HB3745?

The cost impact of HB3745 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does HB3745 address?

HB3745 addresses topics including crime victims compensation and crime victims.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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