80R6321 HLT-D
 
  By: Madden H.B. No. 1610
 
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the requirement that a judge release on community
supervision certain defendants convicted of certain state jail
felonies.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Section 15(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of
Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
             (1)  On conviction of a state jail felony under Section
481.115(b), 481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b), 481.121(b)(3), or
481.129(g)(1), Health and Safety Code, that is punished under
Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, the judge shall suspend the
imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on community
supervision, unless the defendant has previously been convicted of
a felony, other than a felony punished under Section 12.44(a),
Penal Code, in which event the judge may suspend the imposition of
the sentence and place the defendant on community supervision or
may order the sentence to be executed. The provisions of this
subdivision requiring the judge to suspend the imposition of the
sentence and place the defendant on community supervision do not
apply to a defendant who under Section 481.1151(b)(1), Health and
Safety Code, possessed more than five abuse units of the controlled
substance or under Section 481.121(b)(3), Health and Safety Code,
possessed more than one pound of marihuana.
       SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a defendant who is convicted of a state jail felony on or after
the effective date of this Act. A defendant convicted before the
effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect on the
date of the conviction, and the former law is continued in effect
for that purpose.
       SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.