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


Senate Research Center   S.B. 917
78R3846 GWK-DBy: Whitmire
Criminal Justice
3/28/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas has no provision that establishes a specific future date
for the review of an inmate for parole purposes.  As proposed, S.B. 917
allows a violent offender to receive a set off of one, two, three, four,
or five years  and requires a nonviolent 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 described by Section 508.149, Government Code, at
any time 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 other than
described by Section 508.149, 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.