87R11160 MCF-F
By: White H.B. No. 3505
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to authorizing a court to require defendants confined in a
penal institution to appear by videoconference in criminal cases.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended by adding Article 1.028 to read as follows:
Art. 1.028. PRESENCE BY VIDEOCONFERENCE. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this code, a court may require a defendant
without the defendant's consent to appear, for any proceeding
related to the prosecution of a criminal offense, by
videoconference in the manner described by Article 27.18 if the
defendant is confined in a penal institution at the time of the
proceeding.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a criminal proceeding that commences on or after the effective
date of this Act. A criminal proceeding that commenced before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
date the proceeding commenced, and the former law is continued in
effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.