85R11916 MAW-D By: Muñoz, Jr. H.B. No. 2893 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to a personal bond office and pretrial services in certain counties. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 1, Article 17.42, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 1. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), any [Any] county, or any judicial district with jurisdiction in more than one county, with the approval of the commissioners court of each county in the district, may establish a personal bond office to gather and review information about an accused that may have a bearing on whether the accused [he] will comply with the conditions of a personal bond and report its findings to the court before which the case is pending. (b) The commissioners court of a county with a population of 700,000 or more but less than 780,000 shall establish a personal bond office for that county. In addition to the duties described by Subsection (a), an office established under this subsection must implement a pretrial services program to provide services related to defendants released on bail in the county, including supervising and otherwise monitoring a defendant to ensure the defendant's: (1) compliance with conditions of bail; and (2) appearance in court as required. SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2018, the commissioners court of a county described by Section 1(b), Article 17.42, Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act, shall establish the personal bond office as required by that section. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.