By Greenberg                                            H.B. No. 52

      75R1558 GWK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the eligibility of inmates serving sentences for

 1-3     indecency with a child for release on mandatory supervision.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 8(c), Article 42.18, Code of Criminal

 1-6     Procedure, is amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (c)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection and

 1-8     Subsection (c-1), a prisoner who is not on parole shall be released

 1-9     to mandatory supervision by order of a parole panel when the

1-10     calendar time he has served plus any accrued good conduct time

1-11     equal the maximum term to which he was sentenced.  A prisoner

1-12     released to mandatory supervision shall, upon release, be deemed as

1-13     if released on parole.  To the extent practicable, arrangements for

1-14     the prisoner's proper employment, maintenance, and care shall be

1-15     made prior to his release to mandatory supervision.  The period of

1-16     mandatory supervision shall be for a period equivalent to the

1-17     maximum term for which the prisoner was sentenced less calendar

1-18     time actually served on the sentence.  The time served on mandatory

1-19     supervision is calculated as calendar time.  Every prisoner while

1-20     on mandatory supervision shall remain in the legal custody of the

1-21     state and shall be amenable to conditions of supervision ordered by

1-22     the parole panel.  A prisoner may not be released to mandatory

1-23     supervision if the prisoner is serving or has previously been

1-24     convicted for an offense and the judgment for the offense contains

 2-1     an affirmative finding under Subdivision (2), Subsection (a),

 2-2     Section 3g, Article 42.12, of this code or if the prisoner is

 2-3     serving a sentence for or has previously been convicted of:

 2-4                 (1)  a first degree felony under Section 19.02, Penal

 2-5     Code (Murder);

 2-6                 (2)  a capital felony under Section 19.03, Penal Code

 2-7     (Capital Murder);

 2-8                 (3)  a first degree felony or a second degree felony

 2-9     under Section 20.04, Penal Code (Aggravated Kidnapping);

2-10                 (4)  a third degree or second degree felony under

2-11     Section 21.11, Penal Code (Indecency with a Child);

2-12                 (5)  a second degree felony under Section 22.011, Penal

2-13     Code (Sexual Assault);

2-14                 (6) [(5)]  a second degree or first degree felony under

2-15     Section 22.02, Penal Code (Aggravated Assault);

2-16                 (7) [(6)]  a first degree felony under Section 22.021,

2-17     Penal Code (Aggravated Sexual Assault);

2-18                 (8) [(7)]  a first degree felony under Section 22.04,

2-19     Penal Code (Injury to a Child, Elderly Individual, or Disabled

2-20     Individual);

2-21                 (9) [(8)]  a first degree felony under Section 28.02,

2-22     Penal Code (Arson);

2-23                 (10) [(9)]  a second degree felony under Section 29.02,

2-24     Penal Code (Robbery);

2-25                 (11) [(10)]  a first degree felony under Section 29.03,

2-26     Penal Code (Aggravated Robbery);

2-27                 (12) [(11)]  a first degree felony under Section 30.02,

 3-1     Penal Code (Burglary); or

 3-2                 (13) [(12)]  a felony for which the punishment is

 3-3     increased under Section 481.134, Health and Safety Code (Drug-Free

 3-4     Zones).

 3-5           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies

 3-6     only to an inmate serving a sentence for an offense committed on or

 3-7     after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes of this

 3-8     section, an offense is committed before the effective date of this

 3-9     Act if any element of the offense occurs before the effective date.

3-10           (b)  An inmate serving a sentence for an offense committed

3-11     before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in

3-12     effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is

3-13     continued in effect for that purpose.

3-14           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1998.

3-15           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.