BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 583

By: Larson

Corrections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, a judge is allowed to require a defendant to donate to a nonprofit food bank in lieu of completing community service. Interested parties note the abundance of charitable organizations in Texas that serve veterans and contend that judges should have the authority to allow defendants to donate to charitable organizations performing charitable functions for veterans in lieu of working community service. H.B. 583 seeks to provide this authority.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 583 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to authorize a judge to order as a condition of community supervision, in lieu of requiring a defendant to work at a community service project, that the defendant make a specified donation to a charitable organization engaged primarily in performing charitable functions for veterans in the community in which the defendant resides as an alternative to making such a donation to a nonprofit food bank or food pantry.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.