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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a defendant's payment of costs associated with a |
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court-appointed counsel. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 26.05(g), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(g) If the court determines that a defendant has financial |
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resources that enable the defendant [him] to offset in part or in |
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whole the costs of the legal services provided, including any |
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expenses and costs, the court shall order the defendant to pay |
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during the pendency of the charges or, if convicted, as court costs |
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the amount that it finds the defendant is able to pay. If at the |
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time of sentencing the court determines that the defendant is |
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unable to pay the total cost of the services provided, the court |
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shall order the defendant to pay the unpaid portion as money becomes |
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available to the defendant during the defendant's sentence, |
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including money deposited in the defendant's trust account |
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administered by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under |
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Section 501.014, Government Code. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a sentencing proceeding that commences on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. A sentencing proceeding that commences before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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date the proceeding commenced, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |