By Ratliff S.B. No. 1806 75R9326 JSA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the procedures for release of a criminal defendant on 1-3 personal bond. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 1-6 amended by adding Article 17.033 to read as follows: 1-7 Art. 17.033. RESTRICTIONS ON RELEASE ON PERSONAL BOND. (a) 1-8 A person accused of an offense other than a misdemeanor punishable 1-9 by fine only who is detained in a county or municipal detention 1-10 facility may be released on personal bond only: 1-11 (1) by an elected judge or magistrate, if there is at 1-12 least one elected judge or magistrate serving in the county, except 1-13 that any other judge or magistrate may release the defendant on 1-14 personal bond if that judge or magistrate determines that an 1-15 elected judge or magistrate will not be available to consider the 1-16 person's release on personal bond within the next 24 hours; and 1-17 (2) after the accused appears in person for 1-18 examination before the judge or magistrate. 1-19 (b) If there is a personal bond office in the county, a 1-20 judge or magistrate may not release a defendant under Subsection 1-21 (a) until the personal bond office has prepared a report on the 1-22 defendant under Section 1, Article 17.42, and delivered a copy of 1-23 the report to the judge or magistrate. 1-24 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-1 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.