Monday, May 21, 2007

Status of key criminal justice legislation

As always, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition is a vital source of information about criminal justice policy and legislation, so I thought I'd pass on to readers their email summary of the status of several key bills they're following aimed at improving safety and accountability and reducing recidivism and technical revocations to prison:

Approved by the Governor on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - effective immediately!

SB 1580 by Senator Van de Putte (D-San Antonio), and carried by Representatives Haggerty (R-El Paso), Hodge (D-Dallas), and Madden (R-Plano) - which will strengthen families by providing pay telephone services to inmates confined in facilities operated by TDCJ - was filed by the Governor on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, and will become effective immediately!

Click here for more

View TCJC testimony

View House Committee on Corrections report


Sent to the Governor's desk!

HB 770 by Representatives Dutton (D-Houston) and Guillen (D-Roma), and carried by Senator Lucio (D-Brownsville) in the Senate - which increases civic participation to encourage responsible living - was sent to the Governor's desk on Monday, May 14, 2007!

Click here for more

View TCJC fact sheet

View TCJC testimony

View House Research Organization bill analysis

View Senate Committee on State Affairs report

SB 453 by Senator Ellis (D-Houston) and carried by Representatives Davis (D-Dallas) and Coleman (D-Houston) in the House - relating to the testing of certain inmates for HIV or AIDS - was sent to the Governor's desk on Tuesday, May 15, 2007!

One Step Away from Becoming Law!

SB 166 by Senator West (D-Dallas), and carried by Representative Madden (R-Plano) in the House - which implements progressive sanctions: a safe, cost-effective way to reduce the number of probation revocations to prison - passed the House (Vote: Y: 143/N: 1) on Wednesday, May 16, 2007! This bill will now be making its way to the Governor's desk!

Click here for more

View TCJC fact sheet

View TCJC testimony

View House Research Organization bill analysis

View House Committee on Corrections report


One Step Away from Becoming Law!

HB 1178 by Representatives Escobar (D-Kingsville) and McClendon (D-San Antonio), and carried by Senator Ellis (D-Houston) in the Senate - which ensures that defendants facing jail time understand that they have a right to a lawyer in criminal cases - passed the Senate (Vote: Y: 31/N: 0) on Thursday, May 17, 2007! This bill will now be making its way to the Governor's desk!

Click here for more

View TCJC fact sheet

View HB 1178 FAQs

View Senate Committee on Criminal Justice report

View House Research Organization bill analysis

HB 530 by Representatives Madden (R-Plano), Rodriguez (D-Austin), Peña (D-Edinburg), Hodge (D-Dallas), and Woolley (R-Houston), and carried by Senator Seliger (R-Amarillo) in the Senate - which reduces recidivism and costs through drug courts - passed the Senate (Vote: Y: 31/N: 0) on Thursday, May 17, 2007! This bill will now be making its way to the Governor's desk!

Click here for more

View TCJC fact sheet

View TCJC testimony

View Senate Committee on Criminal Justice report

View House Research Organization bill analysis

HB 312 by Representative Turner (D-Houston), and carried by Senator Whitmire (D-Houston) in the Senate - which prevents indigent individuals from being unjustly revoked from probation for being unable to pay their fees - passed the Senate (Vote: Y: 31/N: 0) on Thursday, May 17, 2007! This bill will now be making its way to the Governor's desk!

Click here for more

View TCJC fact sheet

View TCJC testimony

View Senate Committee on Criminal Justice report

View House Research Organization Bill Analysis

HB 1610 by Representative Madden (R-Plano), and carried by Senator Whitmire (D-Houston) in the Senate - relating to the requirement that a judge release on community supervision certain defendants convicted of certain state jail felonies - passed the Senate (Vote: Y: 30/N: 1) on Thursday, May 17, 2007! This bill will now be making its way to the Governor's desk!

Click here for more

View TCJC fact sheet

View TCJC testimony

View Senate Committee on Criminal Justice report

View House Research Organization bill analysis


HB 2611 by Representative Madden (R-Plano), and carried by Senator Whitmire (D-Houston) in the Senate - which expands the allowance of medically supervised release to include certain offenders who no longer pose a threat to society to financially relive the state - passed the Senate (Vote: Y: 31/N: 0) on Thursday, May 17, 2007! This bill will now be making its way to the Governor's desk!

Click here for more

View TCJC fact sheet

View TCJC testimony

View Senate Committee on Criminal Justice report

View House Research Organization bill analysis

HB 921 by Representative Delisi (R-Temple), and carried by Senator Ellis (D-Houston) in the Senate - which establishes an interagency information sharing pilot program and creates the Texas Health Care Policy Council (council) - passed the Senate (Vote: Y: 31/N: 0) on Thursday, May 17, 2007! This bill will now be making its way to the Governor's desk!

View Senate Committee on Government Organization report


Set on the House Calendar for Monday, May 21, 2007!

SB 909 by Whitmire (D-Houston), and carried by Representatives Madden (R-Plano), Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), Flynn (R-Canton), Hochberg (D-Houston), Cook (R-Austin) - relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee and to the functions of the Board of Pardons and Paroles - has been set on the House Calendar for Monday, May 21, 2007! (UPDATE: Passed with amendments on second reading!)

Click here for more

View TCJC testimony

View House Research Organization bill analysis

View House Committee on Corrections report


SB 1750 by Senator Whitmire (D-Houston), and carried by Representative Turner (D-Houston) in the House, - which would allow for the provisional licensures of individuals convicted of non-violent, non-sex related felonies - has been set on the House Calendar for Monday, May 21, 2007!

Click here for more

View TCJC testimony

View House Research Organization bill analysis

View House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures report

UPDATE: These bills died:

Set on the House Calendar for Tuesday, May 22, 2007!

SB 838 by Senator Whitmire (D-Houston), and carried by Representative Turner (D-Houston) in the House, - relating to assisting former offenders who are re-integrating into society - has been set on the House Calendar for Tuesday, May 22, 2007!

Click here for more

View TCJC testimony

View House Committee on Corrections report


SB 1909 by Senators Ellis (D-Houston), Carona (R-Dallas), Deuell (R-Greenville), and carried by Representative Madden (R-Plano) in the House - which will provide smart, tailored treatment for non-dangerous drug-possession offenders - has been set on the House Calendar for Tuesday, May 22, 2007!

Click here for more

View TCJC testimony

View House Committee on Corrections report

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hadn't noticed HB 312 before, but what a great bill! I know it costs lots of $$$s to keep people in prison and run the probation and parol service, but linking freedom to the ability to pay is a rediculus idea.

Anonymous said...

I'm astounded that this bill is necessary. The idea of debtor's prison was exposed as stupid eons ago!

How dumb is it to imprison someone at a cost of about $34.00 a day because they cannot pay about $100. a month in parole fees?

There are so many barriers to work in Texas that many parolees truly cannot get a job and cannot possibly pay parole fees. Locking them up is costly and does nothing to help anyone!

j said...

Wow, wish these kind of bills would pass in my home state, Arkansas. Jess