SRC-AMY S.B. 917 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 917
By: Whitmire
Criminal Justice
6/4/2003
Enrolled

DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas has no provision that establishes a specific future date
for the review of an inmate for parole purposes.  S.B. 917 allows a
violent offender to receive a set off of one, two, three, four, or five
years  and requires a nonviolent offender to be reviewed annually by the
Texas Board of Pardons and Parole.  

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 508.141, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(g), to  require the policy board of the Board of Pardons and Paroles
(parole board) to adopt a policy establishing the date on which the parole
board may reconsider for release an inmate who has previously been denied
release.  Requires the policy to require the parole board to reconsider
for release an inmate serving a sentence for an offense listed in Section
508.149(a) (Inmates Ineligible for Mandatory Supervision), Government
Code, during a month designated by the parole panel that denied release.
Requires the designated month to begin after the first anniversary of the
date of the denial and before the fifth anniversary of the date of the
denial.  Requires the policy to require the parole board to reconsider for
release an inmate serving a sentence for an offense listed in Section
508.149(a) (Inmates Ineligible for Mandatory Supervision), Government
Code, as soon as practicable after the first anniversary of the date of
the denial. 

SECTION 2.  Requires the policy board to adopt the reconsideration policy
required by Section 508.141(g), Government Code, as added by this Act, by
January 1, 2004. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.