Honorable Pete Gallego, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB819 by Farrar (Relating to abolishing the death penalty.), As Introduced
The bill would amend the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure by making life without parole the mandatory sentence for all capital felonies and abolishing the death penalty.
According to fiscal year 2010 admissions data, less than 10 persons were admitted to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with death penalty sentences. Under current law and policy, and under the proposed bill, the average time served in prison by persons likely to be affected by the provisions of this bill is greater than five years. Therefore, no additional impact on demands on the adult corrections agencies are anticipated during the first five years following passage of the bill.