| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the procedures applicable to the revocation of a |
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| 8 | 6 | | person's release on parole or to mandatory supervision. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 508.254, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 9 | | amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (d), (e), and (f) to |
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| 12 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 11 | | (c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), pending [Pending] |
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| 14 | 12 | | a hearing on a charge of parole violation, ineligible release, or |
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| 15 | 13 | | violation of a condition of mandatory supervision, a person |
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| 16 | 14 | | returned to custody shall remain confined. |
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| 17 | 15 | | (d) A magistrate of the county in which the person is held in |
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| 18 | 16 | | custody may release the person on bond pending the hearing if: |
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| 19 | 17 | | (1) the person is arrested or held in custody only on a |
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| 20 | 18 | | charge that the person committed an administrative violation of |
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| 21 | 19 | | release; |
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| 22 | 20 | | (2) the division, in accordance with Subsection (e), |
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| 23 | 21 | | included notice on the warrant for the person's arrest that the |
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| 24 | 22 | | person is eligible for release on bond; and |
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| 25 | 23 | | (3) the magistrate determines that the person is not a |
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| 26 | 24 | | threat to public safety. |
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| 27 | 25 | | (e) The division shall include a notice on the warrant for |
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| 28 | 26 | | the person's arrest indicating that the person is eligible for |
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| 29 | 27 | | release on bond under Subsection (d) if the division determines |
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| 30 | 28 | | that the person: |
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| 31 | 29 | | (1) has not been previously convicted of: |
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| 32 | 30 | | (A) an offense under Chapter 29, Penal Code; |
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| 33 | 31 | | (B) an offense under Title 5, Penal Code, |
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| 34 | 32 | | punishable as a felony; or |
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| 35 | 33 | | (C) an offense involving family violence, as |
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| 36 | 34 | | defined by Section 71.004, Family Code; |
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| 37 | 35 | | (2) is not on intensive supervision or super-intensive |
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| 38 | 36 | | supervision; |
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| 39 | 37 | | (3) is not an absconder; and |
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| 40 | 38 | | (4) is not a threat to public safety. |
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| 41 | 39 | | (f) The provisions of Chapters 17 and 22, Code of Criminal |
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| 42 | 40 | | Procedure, apply to a person released under Subsection (d) in the |
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| 43 | 41 | | same manner as those provisions apply to a person released pending |
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| 44 | 42 | | an appearance before a court or magistrate, except that the release |
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| 45 | 43 | | under that subsection is conditioned on the person's appearance at |
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| 46 | 44 | | a hearing under this subchapter. |
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| 47 | 45 | | SECTION 2. Section 508.281(c), Government Code, is amended |
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| 48 | 46 | | to read as follows: |
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| 49 | 47 | | (c) If a [hearing before a] designated agent of the board |
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| 50 | 48 | | determines that [is held under this section for] a releasee who |
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| 51 | 49 | | appears in compliance with a summons[, the sheriff of the county in |
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| 52 | 50 | | which the releasee is required to appear shall provide the |
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| 53 | 51 | | designated agent with a place at the county jail to hold the |
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| 54 | 52 | | hearing. Immediately on conclusion of a hearing in which the |
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| 55 | 53 | | designated agent determines that a releasee] has violated a |
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| 56 | 54 | | condition of release, the agent shall notify the board. After the |
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| 57 | 55 | | board or a parole panel makes a final determination regarding the |
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| 58 | 56 | | violation, the division may issue a warrant [may be issued] |
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| 59 | 57 | | requiring the releasee to be held in a [the] county jail pending[: |
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| 60 | 58 | | [(1) the action of a parole panel on any |
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| 61 | 59 | | recommendations made by the designated agent; and |
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| 62 | 60 | | [(2) if subsequently ordered by the parole panel,] the |
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| 63 | 61 | | return of the releasee to the institution from which the releasee |
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| 64 | 62 | | was released. |
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| 65 | 63 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act in amending |
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| 66 | 64 | | Section 508.254, Government Code, applies only to a person who on or |
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| 67 | 65 | | after the effective date of this Act is charged with a violation of |
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| 68 | 66 | | the person's release on parole or mandatory supervision. A person |
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| 69 | 67 | | who before the effective date of this Act was charged with a |
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| 70 | 68 | | violation of release is governed by the law in effect when the |
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| 71 | 69 | | violation was charged, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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| 72 | 70 | | that purpose. |
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| 73 | 71 | | SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act in amending |
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| 74 | 72 | | Section 508.281(c), Government Code, applies only to a |
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| 75 | 73 | | determination made by a designated agent of the Board of Pardons and |
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| 76 | 74 | | Paroles on or after the effective date of this Act. A determination |
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| 77 | 75 | | made before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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| 78 | 76 | | effect on the date the determination was made, and the former law is |
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| 79 | 77 | | continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 80 | 78 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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