Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB55 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R339 MCF-D
2	2	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 55
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to credit toward payment of fines and costs for certain
10	10	defendants.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Articles 43.09(a) and (k), Code of Criminal
13	13	Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
14	14	(a) When a defendant is convicted of a misdemeanor and the
15	15	defendant's punishment is assessed at a pecuniary fine or is
16	16	confined in a jail after conviction of a felony for which a fine is
17	17	imposed, if the defendant is unable to pay the fine and costs
18	18	adjudged against the defendant, the defendant may for such time as
19	19	will satisfy the judgment be put to work in the county jail
20	20	industries program, in the workhouse, or on the county farm, or
21	21	public improvements and maintenance projects of the county or a
22	22	political subdivision located in whole or in part in the county, as
23	23	provided in Article 43.10; or if there is no such county jail
24	24	industries program, workhouse, farm, or improvements and
25	25	maintenance projects, the defendant shall be confined in jail for a
26	26	sufficient length of time to discharge the full amount of fine and
27	27	costs adjudged against the defendant; rating such confinement at
28	28	$150 [$100] for each day and rating such labor at $150 [$100] for
29	29	each day; provided, however, that the defendant may pay the
30	30	pecuniary fine assessed against the defendant at any time while the
31	31	defendant is serving at work in the county jail industries program,
32	32	in the workhouse, or on the county farm, or on the public
33	33	improvements and maintenance projects of the county or a political
34	34	subdivision located in whole or in part in the county, or while the
35	35	defendant is serving the defendant's jail sentence, and in such
36	36	instances the defendant is entitled to the credit earned under this
37	37	subsection during the time that the defendant has served and the
38	38	defendant shall only be required to pay the balance of the pecuniary
39	39	fine assessed against the defendant. A defendant who performs labor
40	40	under this article during a day in which the defendant is confined
41	41	is entitled to both the credit for confinement and the credit for
42	42	labor provided by this article.
43	43	(k) A defendant is considered to have discharged $150 [$100]
44	44	of fines or costs for each eight hours of community service
45	45	performed under Subsection (f) of this article.
46	46	SECTION 2. Article 45A.251(e), Code of Criminal Procedure,
47	47	is amended to read as follows:
48	48	(e) In addition to credit under Subsection (d), in imposing
49	49	a fine and costs in a case involving a misdemeanor punishable by
50	50	fine only, the justice or judge shall credit the defendant for any
51	51	period the defendant was confined in jail or prison while awaiting
52	52	trial or serving a sentence for another offense if that confinement
53	53	occurred after the commission of the misdemeanor. The credit under
54	54	this subsection shall be applied to the amount of the fine and costs
55	55	at the rate of not less than $150 for each day of confinement.
56	56	SECTION 3. Article 45A.254(e), Code of Criminal Procedure,
57	57	is amended to read as follows:
58	58	(e) A defendant is considered to have discharged not less
59	59	than $150 [$100] of fines or costs for each eight hours of community
60	60	service performed under this article.
61	61	SECTION 4. Article 45A.459(i), Code of Criminal Procedure,
62	62	is amended to read as follows:
63	63	(i) A defendant is considered to have discharged not less
64	64	than $150 [$100] of fines or costs for each eight hours of community
65	65	service performed under this article.
66	66	SECTION 5. Article 45A.460(i), Code of Criminal Procedure,
67	67	is amended to read as follows:
68	68	(i) A defendant is considered to have discharged not less
69	69	than $150 [$100] of fines or costs for each eight hours of community
70	70	service performed under this article.
71	71	SECTION 6. Article 43.09(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, as
72	72	amended by this Act, applies to a defendant who is confined or
73	73	performs labor to discharge fines or costs on or after the effective
74	74	date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense for which the
75	75	fines or costs were imposed occurred before, on, or after the
76	76	effective date of this Act.
77	77	SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act to Articles
78	78	43.09(k), 45A.254(e), 45A.459(i), and 45A.460(i), Code of Criminal
79	79	Procedure, apply to a defendant who performs community service to
80	80	discharge fines or costs on or after the effective date of this Act,
81	81	regardless of whether the offense for which the fines or costs were
82	82	imposed occurred before, on, or after the effective date of this
83	83	Act.
84	84	SECTION 8. Article 45A.251(e), Code of Criminal Procedure,
85	85	as amended by this Act, applies to a defendant who is sentenced for
86	86	an offense on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of
87	87	whether the offense was committed before, on, or after that date.
88	88	SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.