By Burnam, et al.                                      H.B. No. 658

         75R10891 GWK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the county of residence of certain persons released on

 1-3     parole or to mandatory supervision after serving sentences for

 1-4     sexual offenses.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 8A, Article 42.18, Code of Criminal

 1-7     Procedure, is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

 1-8           (g)  The pardons and paroles division shall, on the first

 1-9     working day of each month, notify the sheriff of any county in

1-10     which the total number of sex offenders under the supervision and

1-11     control of the division residing in the county exceeds 10 percent

1-12     of the total number of sex offenders in the state under the

1-13     supervision and control of the division.  If the total number of

1-14     sex offenders under the supervision and control of the division

1-15     residing in a county exceeds 25 percent of the total number of sex

1-16     offenders in the state under the supervision and control of the

1-17     division, a parole panel may require a sex offender to reside in

1-18     that county only as required by Subsection (a) or for the reason

1-19     stated in Subsection (b)(2)(B).  In this subsection, "sex offender"

1-20     means a person who is released on parole or to mandatory

1-21     supervision after serving a sentence for an offense described by

1-22     Section 8(u)(2).

1-23           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-24     applies only to a person who is released on parole or to mandatory

 2-1     supervision on or after that date.

 2-2           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.