BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 965

By: Bettencourt

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A copy of certain records related to the release of an accused person on personal bond must be filed with the applicable county clerk. Interested parties contend that this requirement needs to be updated to reflect the fact that in some counties, the county clerk does not handle these cases. For example, the parties note that in Harris County, the county clerk handles county civil cases while the district clerk handles county criminal cases. S.B. 965 seeks to address this issue.

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

S.B. 965 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require a personal bond pretrial release office to file a copy of the record containing information about any accused person who after review by the office is released by a court on personal bond with the district clerk in any county served by the office, instead of with the county clerk in any such county, if applicable based on court jurisdiction over the categories of offenses addressed in the records.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.