H.B. No. 3745 amends Article 56B.102 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to enhance the provisions regarding emergency awards for crime victims' compensation. The bill allows the attorney general to make emergency awards for anticipated pecuniary losses if it is likely that a final award will be granted and the claimant or victim would face undue hardship without immediate economic relief. Additionally, the bill introduces a new subsection that specifies that limitations on emergency awards do not apply to claims made by a claimant related to a deceased victim or arising from criminally injurious conduct that resulted in a declared state of emergency.

The changes made by this bill will only apply to compensation for criminally injurious conduct occurring on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025. Any conduct occurring before this date will continue to be governed by the previous law in effect at that time. This ensures that victims of crimes that occurred prior to the effective date are not adversely affected by the new provisions.