By:  Lucio                                            S.B. No. 1453
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the eligibility of certain defendants convicted of
 1-3     felonies for release on bail pending appeal.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Article 44.04, Code of Criminal
 1-6     Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  The defendant may not be released on bail pending the
 1-8     appeal from any felony conviction where the punishment equals or
 1-9     exceeds 10 years confinement or where the defendant has been
1-10     convicted of an offense listed under Section 3g(a)(1), Article
1-11     42.12, or an offense under Section 22.04, Penal Code, but shall
1-12     immediately be placed in custody and the bail discharged.
1-13           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-14     to a request for bail pending appeal that is made by a defendant on
1-15     or after the effective date of this Act.  A request for bail
1-16     pending appeal that is made by a defendant before the effective
1-17     date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the request
1-18     was made, and the former law is continued in effect for that
1-19     purpose.
1-20           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.