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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a prohibition on requiring a defendant to enter a plea |
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of guilty or nolo contendere as a condition of entering certain |
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pretrial intervention programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 76.011(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a |
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program [programs] operated by the department under Subsection (a) |
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may include reasonable conditions related to the purpose of the |
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program, including testing for controlled substances. A program |
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operated by the department under Subsection (a) may not include a |
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condition that a defendant enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere |
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to participate in the program. If this subsection conflicts with a |
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more specific provision of another law, the other law prevails. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a |
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condition for participation in a pretrial intervention program |
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imposed on or after the effective date of this Act. A condition for |
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participation in a pretrial intervention program imposed before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed on |
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the date the condition was imposed, and the former law is continued |
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in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |