1-1     By:  Hinojosa, Keel (Senate Sponsor - West)            H.B. No. 840
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2001;
 1-3     April 30, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Jurisprudence; May 10, 2001, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 10, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to a defendant's waiver of arraignment.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1. Chapter 26, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended
1-11     by adding Article 26.011 to read as follows:
1-12           Art. 26.011.  WAIVER OF ARRAIGNMENT.  An attorney
1-13     representing a defendant may present a waiver of arraignment, and
1-14     the clerk of the court may not require the presence of the
1-15     defendant as a condition of accepting the waiver.
1-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-17     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-18     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-19     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-20     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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