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House Bill 417 |
House Author: Anchia et al. |
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Effective: 6-17-11 |
Senate Sponsor: Ellis |
House Bill 417 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the Government Code, and the Insurance Code, to add conditions under which a person is entitled to compensation for wrongful imprisonment, among them the condition that the person has been granted a writ of habeas corpus. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is required to provide specified information to a wrongfully imprisoned person. A wrongfully imprisoned person is eligible to obtain group health insurance coverage through the TDCJ as if the person were an employee of the department. The bill sets a time limit for filing an application with the comptroller of public accounts for compensation. Among other provisions, House Bill 417 prohibits a person, including an attorney, from charging or collecting a fee for preparing, filing, or curing a claimant's application for compensation unless the fee is based on a reasonable hourly rate.