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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the release to mandatory supervision of certain inmates |
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confined in a county jail. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 508.1471 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 508.1471. RELEASE TO MANDATORY SUPERVISION OF CERTAIN |
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INMATES CONFINED IN COUNTY JAIL. (a) This section applies only to |
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an inmate who, at the time the inmate is sentenced to a term of |
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imprisonment in the department, is: |
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(1) confined in a county jail; and |
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(2) eligible for immediate release to mandatory |
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supervision. |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law, the department must take |
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custody of an inmate to whom this section applies before the inmate |
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may be released to mandatory supervision. |
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(c) As soon as practicable after taking an inmate into |
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custody under Subsection (b), the department shall provide notice |
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to a victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a deceased |
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victim that the inmate is eligible for release to mandatory |
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supervision. The notice must be sent to the address provided in the |
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victim impact statement or submitted under Section 508.117(b) and |
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must state that the victim, guardian, or close relative may submit, |
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not later than the 14th day after the date of the notice, a written |
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statement to the parole panel considering the inmate's release |
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regarding: |
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(1) the offense; |
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(2) the inmate; and |
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(3) the effect of the offense on the victim, guardian, |
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or close relative. |
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(d) Notwithstanding any other law, the parole panel may |
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interview a victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a |
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deceased victim regarding the release of the inmate to mandatory |
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supervision. |
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(e) In this section, "victim," "guardian of a victim," and |
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"close relative of a deceased victim" have the meanings assigned by |
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Section 508.117. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a |
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defendant who is sentenced for an offense on or after the effective |
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date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense is committed |
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before, on, or after that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |