1-1     By:  Shapleigh                                        S.B. No. 1827

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 1997; March 24, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;

 1-4     April 30, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable Committee

 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 30, 1997,

 1-6     sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1827               By:  Shapleigh

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to characteristics of a defendant that shall not be used

1-11     by a judge to deny community supervision.

1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 3, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal

1-14     Procedure, is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

1-15           (g)  A judge shall not deny community supervision to a

1-16     defendant based solely on the defendant's inability to speak, read,

1-17     write, hear, or understand English.

1-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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