Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB721 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 721
	1	+	By: Wilson (Senate Sponsor - Schwertner) H.B. No. 721
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2021;
	3	+	May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
	4	+	Justice; May 24, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable
	5	+	Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0;
	6	+	May 24, 2021, sent to printer.)
	7	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	8	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 721 By: Whitmire
2	9
3	10
	11	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	12		AN ACT
5	13		relating to the release to mandatory supervision of certain inmates
6	14		confined in a county jail.
7	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	16		SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is
9	17		amended by adding Section 508.1471 to read as follows:
10	18		Sec. 508.1471. RELEASE TO MANDATORY SUPERVISION OF CERTAIN
11	19		INMATES CONFINED IN COUNTY JAIL. (a) This section applies only to
12	20		an inmate who, at the time the inmate is sentenced to a term of
13	21		imprisonment in the department, is:
14	22		(1) confined in a county jail; and
15	23		(2) eligible for immediate release to mandatory
16	24		supervision.
17	25		(b) Before an inmate is released from a county jail to
18	26		mandatory supervision, the department shall provide notice to a
19	27		victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a deceased victim
20	28		that the inmate is eligible for release to mandatory supervision.
21	29		The notice must be sent to the address provided in the victim impact
22	30		statement or submitted under Section 508.117(b) and must state that
23	31		the victim, guardian, or close relative may submit, not later than
24	32		the 14th day after the date of the notice, a written statement to
25	33		the parole panel considering the inmate's release regarding:
26	34		(1) the offense;
27	35		(2) the inmate; and
28	36		(3) the effect of the offense on the victim, guardian,
29	37		or close relative.
30	38		(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the parole panel may
31	39		interview a victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a
32	40		deceased victim regarding the release of the inmate to mandatory
33	41		supervision.
34	42		(d) In this section, "victim," "guardian of a victim," and
35	43		"close relative of a deceased victim" have the meanings assigned by
36	44		Section 508.117.
37	45		SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a
38	46		defendant who is sentenced for an offense on or after the effective
39	47		date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense is committed
40	48		before, on, or after that date.
41	49		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
42		-	______________________________ ______________________________
43		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
44		-	I certify that H.B. No. 721 was passed by the House on April
45		-	30, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 6, 2 present, not
46		-	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
47		-	No. 721 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1
48		-	present, not voting.
49		-	______________________________
50		-	Chief Clerk of the House
51		-	I certify that H.B. No. 721 was passed by the Senate, with
52		-	amendments, on May 25, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
53		-	0.
54		-	______________________________
55		-	Secretary of the Senate
56		-	APPROVED: __________________
57		-	Date
58		-	__________________
59		-	Governor
	50	+	* * * * *