By:  Seliger                                                      S.B. No. 395


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the submission of certain pleas and waivers by closed 
circuit video teleconferencing.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Article 27.18, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended by adding Subsections (d), (e), (e-1), and (f) to read as 
follows:
	(d)  A defendant who is confined in a county other than the 
county in which charges against the defendant are pending may use 
the teleconferencing method provided by this article to enter a 
plea or waive a right in the court with jurisdiction over the case.
	(e)  A defendant who enters a plea or waiver under Subsection 
(d):    
		(1)  consents to venue in the county in which the court 
receiving the plea or waiver is located; and
		(2)  waives any claim of error related to venue.                       
	(e-1)  Subsection (e) does not prohibit a court from granting 
a defendant's motion for change of venue during the trial of the 
defendant.
	(f)  If a defendant enters a plea of guilty or nolo 
contendere under Subsection (d), the attorney representing the 
state may request at the time the plea is entered that the defendant 
submit a fingerprint of the defendant suitable for attachment to 
the judgment.  On request for a fingerprint under this subsection, 
the county in which the defendant is confined shall obtain a 
fingerprint of the defendant and use first-class mail or other 
means acceptable to the attorney representing the state and the 
county to forward the fingerprint to the court accepting the plea.
	SECTION 2.  This Act applies to any proceeding pending 
before a court on or after September 1, 2005.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.