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House Bill 1015 |
House Author: Canales |
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Effective: Vetoed |
Senate Sponsor: Hinojosa |
House Bill 1015 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to notify a sentencing court by electronic communication of the date on which a defendant received into state jail felony facility custody following a violation and subsequent revocation of the defendant's community supervision will have served 75 days in the facility.
Reason Given for Veto: "House Bill 1015 requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to notify the sentencing court of the date on which a defendant convicted of a state jail felony will have served 75 days in a correctional facility. This mandated notification adds needless administrative bureaucracy to seemingly encourage a judge to exercise discretionary authority to grant "probation" to certain convicted felons, thereby shortening the offender's time in prison. Issuing potential early release reminders should not be the mandated responsibility of the Department of Criminal Justice. This duty has been already properly placed where it belongs: on the judges and attorneys taking part in the original criminal proceeding. Furthermore, House Bill 1015 has the potential to inappropriately increase the number of convicted felons granted early probation. Crime victims and the public deserve better."