Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2136 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R4755 MCF-F
2	2	By: Bhojani H.B. No. 2136
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to design and use of a model criminal citation.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 2B, Code of Criminal
12	12	Procedure, is amended by adding Article 2B.0060 to read as follows:
13	13	Art. 2B.0060. MODEL CITATION DESIGN. (a) In this article:
14	14	(1) "Citation" means any summons, ticket, or other
15	15	official document issued to a person by a peace officer that
16	16	requires the person to respond or appear.
17	17	(2) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on Law
18	18	Enforcement.
19	19	(3) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the
20	20	state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state
21	21	authorized by law to employ peace officers.
22	22	(b) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year,
23	23	each law enforcement agency shall adopt, implement, and, as
24	24	necessary, amend the citation used by the agency. The citation
25	25	implemented by the agency must conform to the model citation
26	26	designed, adopted, and disseminated by the commission under this
27	27	article.
28	28	(c) The commission shall design, adopt, and disseminate to
29	29	each law enforcement agency in this state a model citation for the
30	30	purpose of:
31	31	(1) reducing costs associated with the failure of a
32	32	person issued a citation to appear for a scheduled court
33	33	appearance; and
34	34	(2) improving the efficiency of courts in this state.
35	35	(d) The model citation adopted by the commission must:
36	36	(1) be based on credible field, academic, or
37	37	laboratory research;
38	38	(2) include important information at the top of the
39	39	citation, including the following in at least 18-point font:
40	40	(A) the phone number of the person at the court
41	41	who is able to provide additional information to or answer
42	42	questions from the person issued a citation; and
43	43	(B) the statement: "CALL THIS NUMBER FOR
44	44	INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CITATION";
45	45	(3) be written in clear, plain language and include,
46	46	as applicable:
47	47	(A) the date, time, and location at which a
48	48	person issued a citation must appear for court;
49	49	(B) the offense charged and the action the person
50	50	issued a citation is required to take regarding the charge;
51	51	(C) the consequences of missing a scheduled court
52	52	appearance;
53	53	(D) information regarding what the person issued
54	54	a citation may expect at court, including an assurance that the
55	55	person will not be arrested for an unresolved misdemeanor
56	56	punishable by fine only;
57	57	(E) details for any available resources to assist
58	58	with a court appearance, including resources that provide text
59	59	reminders, parking details, general directions to the court,
60	60	transportation options, child-care assistance, and rescheduling
61	61	instructions; and
62	62	(F) details for persons who are unable to afford
63	63	fines or costs imposed by a court, including details for a payment
64	64	plan, payment deferral, community service, and waiver or reduction
65	65	of the fines or costs; and
66	66	(4) include any other information, procedure, or best
67	67	practice that is supported by credible research or commonly
68	68	accepted as a means to achieve the purposes described by Subsection
69	69	(c).
70	70	(e) The commission shall consult with the following in
71	71	designing the model citation:
72	72	(1) the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management
73	73	Institute of Texas located at Sam Houston State University;
74	74	(2) small, medium, and large law enforcement agencies;
75	75	(3) court clerks;
76	76	(4) the Office of Court Administration of the Texas
77	77	Judicial System;
78	78	(5) judges;
79	79	(6) public defenders; and
80	80	(7) prosecutors.
81	81	(f) The commission shall provide for a period of public
82	82	comment before adopting the model citation design.
83	83	(g) Not later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year,
84	84	the commission shall:
85	85	(1) review the model citation adopted under this
86	86	article;
87	87	(2) if appropriate, modify or update the design; and
88	88	(3) disseminate the design to each law enforcement
89	89	agency in this state.
90	90	SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 31, 2025, the Texas
91	91	Commission on Law Enforcement shall design, adopt, and disseminate
92	92	the model citation required under Article 2B.0060, Code of Criminal
93	93	Procedure, as added by this Act.
94	94	(b) Not later than September 1, 2026, each law enforcement
95	95	agency to which Article 2B.0060, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
96	96	added by this Act, applies shall adopt a citation as required by
97	97	that article.
98	98	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.