SRC-JBJ H.B. 2048 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2048
By: Burnam (Shapleigh)
Criminal Justice
5/11/2001

This analysis is based on the House Committee Report, which is the most
recent version available to the Senate Research Center. 

DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Since January 1991, the State of Texas has executed seven persons who were
under the age of 18 at the time they committed a capital offense.  Of all
of the inmates across the nation currently on death row serving sentences
for a juvenile crime, approximately one-third are in Texas.  H.B. 2048
prohibits the application of the death penalty to a person who was under
the age of 18 when the person committed a capital offense.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 8.07(c), Penal Code, to prohibit any person, in
any case, from being punished by death for an offense committed while the
person was younger than 18, rather than 17, years. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.