BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

C.S.H.B. 885

84R27814 MAW-D

By: Paddie; Hughes (Eltife)

 

Criminal Justice

 

5/19/2015

 

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Current law requires a bail bond board of a county with less than 50,000 residents to meet at least four times a year during the months of January, April, July and October, and at the call of the presiding officer. Requires a bail bond board of a county with 50,000 or more residents to meet once a month and at the call of the presiding officer. 

 

H.B. 855 would expand the requirement in current law that bail bond boards in counties with fewer than 50,000 residents meet four times per year to include counties with fewer than 150,000 people.  In order to facilitate license renewal for bail bondsmen, it would also provide that if the board tables or does not take action on a license renewal, the applicant's license continues in effect until the next meeting of the board. (Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

 

C.S.H.B. 885 amends current law relating to certain county bail bond boards.

 

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 1704.055(c), Occupations Code, to require that a county bail bond board in a county with a population of less than 150,000, rather than 50,000, meet at least four times each year during the months of January, April, July, and October at the call of the presiding officer; and at other times at the call of the presiding officer.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 1704.162, Occupations Code, by adding Subsection (h), as follows:

 

(h) Provides that, notwithstanding the expiration date of a license issued under this chapter, if a board to which Section 1704.055(c) applies tables the license holder's application for renewal or otherwise does not take action to approve or deny the application, the applicant's current license continues in effect until the next meeting of the board.

 

SECTION 3. Provides that Section 1704.162(h), Occupations Code, as added by this Act, applies only to an application for renewal of a license filed with a county bail bond board on or after the effective date of this Act. Makes application of this Act prospective.

 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2015.