H.B. No. 929
AN ACT
relating to the duties of a magistrate to inform an arrested person
of consequences of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 15.17(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) In each case enumerated in this Code, the person making
the arrest or the person having custody of the person arrested shall
without unnecessary delay, but not later than 48 hours after the
person is arrested, take the person arrested or have the person
arrested [him] taken before some magistrate of the county where the
person [accused] was arrested or, to provide more expeditiously to
the person arrested the warnings described by this article, before
a magistrate in any other county of this state. The person
arrested [person] may be taken before the magistrate in person or
the image of the person arrested [person] may be presented to the
magistrate by means of a videoconference. The magistrate shall
inform in clear language the person arrested, either in person or
through a videoconference, of the accusation against the person
[him] and [of] any affidavit filed therewith and of the person's
rights [, of his right] to retain counsel, [of his right] to remain
silent, [of his right] to have an attorney present during any
interview with peace officers or attorneys representing the state,
[of his right] to terminate the interview at any time, and [of his
right] to have an examining trial. The magistrate shall inform the
person arrested that a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for the
offense charged may affect the person's eligibility for enlistment
or reenlistment in the United States armed forces or may result in
the person's discharge from the United States armed forces if the
person is a member of the armed forces. The magistrate shall also
inform the person arrested of the person's right to request the
appointment of counsel if the person cannot afford counsel. The
magistrate shall inform the person arrested of the procedures for
requesting appointment of counsel. If the person arrested does not
speak and understand the English language or is deaf, the
magistrate shall inform the person in a manner consistent with
Articles 38.30 and 38.31, as appropriate. The magistrate shall
ensure that reasonable assistance in completing the necessary forms
for requesting appointment of counsel is provided to the person at
the same time. If the person arrested is indigent and requests
appointment of counsel and if the magistrate is authorized under
Article 26.04 to appoint counsel for indigent defendants in the
county, the magistrate shall appoint counsel in accordance with
Article 1.051. If the magistrate is not authorized to appoint
counsel, the magistrate shall without unnecessary delay, but not
later than 24 hours after the person arrested requests appointment
of counsel, transmit, or cause to be transmitted to the court or to
the courts' designee authorized under Article 26.04 to appoint
counsel in the county, the forms requesting the appointment of
counsel. The magistrate shall also inform the person arrested that
the person [he] is not required to make a statement and that any
statement made by the person [him] may be used against the person
[him]. The magistrate shall allow the person arrested reasonable
time and opportunity to consult counsel and shall, after
determining whether the person is currently on bail for a separate
criminal offense, admit the person arrested to bail if allowed by
law. A record of the communication between the person arrested
[person] and the magistrate shall be made. The record shall be
preserved until the earlier of the following dates: (1) the date
on which the pretrial hearing ends; or (2) the 91st day after the
date on which the record is made if the person is charged with a
misdemeanor or the 120th day after the date on which the record is
made if the person is charged with a felony. For purposes of this
subsection, "videoconference" means a two-way electronic
communication of image and sound between the person arrested
[person] and the magistrate and includes secure Internet
videoconferencing.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 929 was passed by the House on April
12, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 128, Nays 15, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 929 was passed by the Senate on May
15, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor