By Pitts H.B. No. 871 75R4448 GWK-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to admonitions to defendants on the effects of a plea of 1-3 guilty or nolo contendere in a criminal case. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Article 26.13, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-6 amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: 1-7 (g) The failure of a court to admonish a defendant as 1-8 required by Subsection (a)(4) does not constitute error for 1-9 purposes of appeal if at the time of entering the plea of guilty or 1-10 nolo contendere the defendant is a citizen of the United States. 1-11 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only 1-12 to a defendant who enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendere on or 1-13 after the effective date of this Act. A defendant who enters a 1-14 plea of guilty or nolo contendere before the effective date of 1-15 this Act is covered by the law in effect when the plea was entered, 1-16 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. 1-17 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-18 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.