By:  Ellis                                              S.B. No. 37
       73R343 DRH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the eligibility for parole for certain persons
    1-3  committing aggravated offenses.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subsections (b)(2) and (3), Section 8, Article
    1-6  42.18, Code of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
    1-7              (2)  If a prisoner is serving a life sentence for a
    1-8  capital felony, the prisoner is not eligible for release on parole
    1-9  <until the actual calendar time the prisoner has served, without
   1-10  consideration of good conduct time, equals 35 calendar years>.
   1-11              (3)  If a prisoner is serving a sentence for the
   1-12  offenses listed in Subdivision (1)(B), (C), or (D) of Section
   1-13  3g(a), Article 42.12 of this code, or if the judgment contains an
   1-14  affirmative finding under Subdivision (2) of Subsection (a) of
   1-15  Section 3g of that article, he is not eligible for release on
   1-16  parole <until his actual calendar time served, without
   1-17  consideration of good conduct time, equals one-fourth of the
   1-18  maximum sentence or 15 calendar years, whichever is less, but in no
   1-19  event shall he be eligible for release on parole in less than two
   1-20  calendar years>.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
   1-22  only to the eligibility for release on parole for an inmate serving
   1-23  a sentence for an offense committed on or after the effective date
   1-24  of this Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed
    2-1  before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
    2-2  occurs before the effective date.
    2-3        (b)  The eligibility for release on parole for an inmate
    2-4  serving a sentence for an offense committed before the effective
    2-5  date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense
    2-6  was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for this
    2-7  purpose.
    2-8        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    2-9        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-10  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-11  emergency   and   an   imperative   public   necessity   that   the
   2-12  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-13  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.