Texas 2021 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB721 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 05/24/2021

                    By: Wilson (Senate Sponsor - Schwertner) H.B. No. 721
 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2021;
 May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
 Justice; May 24, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable
 Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0;
 May 24, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 721 By:  Whitmire


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the release to mandatory supervision of certain inmates
 confined in a county jail.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is
 amended by adding Section 508.1471 to read as follows:
 Sec. 508.1471.  RELEASE TO MANDATORY SUPERVISION OF CERTAIN
 INMATES CONFINED IN COUNTY JAIL. (a) This section applies only to
 an inmate who, at the time the inmate is sentenced to a term of
 imprisonment in the department, is:
 (1)  confined in a county jail; and
 (2)  eligible for immediate release to mandatory
 supervision.
 (b)  Before an inmate is released from a county jail to
 mandatory supervision, the department shall provide notice to a
 victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a deceased victim
 that the inmate is eligible for release to mandatory supervision.
 The notice must be sent to the address provided in the victim impact
 statement or submitted under Section 508.117(b) and must state that
 the victim, guardian, or close relative may submit, not later than
 the 14th day after the date of the notice, a written statement to
 the parole panel considering the inmate's release regarding:
 (1)  the offense;
 (2)  the inmate; and
 (3)  the effect of the offense on the victim, guardian,
 or close relative.
 (c)  Notwithstanding any other law, the parole panel may
 interview a victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a
 deceased victim regarding the release of the inmate to mandatory
 supervision.
 (d)  In this section, "victim," "guardian of a victim," and
 "close relative of a deceased victim" have the meanings assigned by
 Section 508.117.
 SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to a
 defendant who is sentenced for an offense on or after the effective
 date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense is committed
 before, on, or after that date.
 SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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