By: Lopez of Bexar H.B. No. 4544
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the operation and administration of practice and
procedure related to proceedings in the judicial branch of state
government.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 124.001(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) If a defendant who was arrested for or charged with,
convicted of, or placed on deferred adjudication community
supervision for any misdemeanor or felony offense successfully
completes a veterans treatment court program, after notice to, and
agreement of, the attorney representing the state and a hearing in
the veterans treatment court at which that court determines that a
dismissal is in the best interest of justice, for any justice
involved event, the veterans treatment court shall provide to the
court in which the criminal case is pending information about the
dismissal and shall include all of the information required about
the defendant for a petition for expunction under Section 2(b),
Article 55.02, Code of Criminal Procedure. The court in which the
criminal case is pending shall dismiss the case against the
defendant and:
(1) if that trial court is a district court, the court
may, with the consent of the attorney representing the state, enter
an order of expunction on behalf of the defendant under Section
1a(a-1), Article 55.02, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
(2) if that trial court is not a district court, the
court may, with the consent of the attorney representing the state,
forward the appropriate dismissal and expunction information to
enable a district court with jurisdiction to enter an order of
expunction on behalf of the defendant under Section 1a(a-1),
Article 55.02, Code of Criminal Procedure.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.