| 1 | 1 | | 88R2572 JCG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 927 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation of a commission to review certain laws of |
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| 8 | 8 | | this state that restrict the rights or activities of persons |
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| 9 | 9 | | convicted of a felony offense and to make certain recommendations |
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| 10 | 10 | | regarding those laws. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. COMMISSION TO STUDY CERTAIN LAWS THAT RESTRICT |
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| 13 | 13 | | RIGHTS OR ACTIVITIES OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF FELONY OFFENSES. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) A commission is created to study and review all laws of this |
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| 15 | 15 | | state that restrict the rights or activities of persons convicted |
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| 16 | 16 | | of a felony offense, including: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) the right to vote; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) the right to serve on a grand or petit jury; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) eligibility for certain occupational licenses. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The commission shall: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) evaluate all laws described by Subsection (a) of |
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| 22 | 22 | | this section; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) make recommendations to the legislature regarding |
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| 24 | 24 | | the repeal or amendment of laws that are identified as being overly |
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| 25 | 25 | | restrictive or not otherwise serving the best interest of justice. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The commission is composed of nine members appointed as |
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| 27 | 27 | | follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) two members appointed by the governor; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house |
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| 31 | 31 | | of representatives; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (4) one member appointed by the chief justice of the |
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| 33 | 33 | | Supreme Court of Texas; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (5) two members appointed by the presiding judge of |
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| 35 | 35 | | the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) The officials making appointments to the commission |
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| 37 | 37 | | under Subsection (c) of this section shall ensure that the |
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| 38 | 38 | | membership of the commission includes judges, legal scholars, and |
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| 39 | 39 | | relevant business and governmental interests. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (e) The governor shall designate one member of the |
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| 41 | 41 | | commission to serve as the presiding officer of the commission. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (f) A member of the commission is not entitled to |
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| 43 | 43 | | compensation or reimbursement of expenses. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (g) The commission shall meet at the call of the presiding |
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| 45 | 45 | | officer. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (h) Not later than November 1, 2024, the commission shall |
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| 47 | 47 | | report the commission's findings and recommendations to the |
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| 48 | 48 | | governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
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| 49 | 49 | | representatives, the Supreme Court of Texas, and the Texas Court of |
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| 50 | 50 | | Criminal Appeals. The commission shall include in its |
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| 51 | 51 | | recommendations any specific statutes that the commission |
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| 52 | 52 | | recommends repealing or amending. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 2. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS. Not later than the 60th |
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| 54 | 54 | | day after the effective date of this Act, the governor, the |
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| 55 | 55 | | lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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| 56 | 56 | | the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, and the presiding |
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| 57 | 57 | | judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals shall appoint the |
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| 58 | 58 | | members of the commission created under this Act. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 3. ABOLITION OF COMMISSION. The commission is |
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| 60 | 60 | | abolished and this Act expires December 31, 2024. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 62 | 62 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 63 | 63 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 64 | 64 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 65 | 65 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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