By Dutton                                              H.B. No. 962
         77R592 GWK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the eligibility for parole of an inmate serving a life
 1-3     sentence in a capital case.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 508.145(b), Government Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  An inmate serving a life sentence for a capital felony
 1-8     is not eligible for release on parole until the actual calendar
 1-9     time the inmate has served, without consideration of good conduct
1-10     time, equals:
1-11                 (1)  25 calendar years, but only if the inmate since
1-12     imprisonment has been classified in the highest good conduct time
1-13     earning classification available to the inmate; or
1-14                 (2)  40 calendar years, for an inmate serving a life
1-15     sentence for a capital felony other than an inmate described by
1-16     Subdivision (1).
1-17           SECTION 2. (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
1-18     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
1-19     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
1-20     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
1-21     before the effective date.
1-22           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-23     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
1-24     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 2-1           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.