By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 1958

(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2015; March 25, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; April 30, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 30, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the election of certain county bail bond board members.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 1704.0535, Occupations Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 1704.0535. ELECTION OF CERTAIN BAIL BOND [SURETY] BOARD MEMBERS [MEMBER]. (a) The board shall annually conduct a secret ballot election to elect the members [member] of the board who serve [serves] as the representative of licensed bail bond sureties and the representative of the criminal defense attorneys by electing:

(1) a licensed bail bond surety or agent for a corporate surety board member; and

(2) a criminal defense attorney who is practicing in the county.

(b) Each individual licensed in the county as a bail bond surety or agent for a corporate surety is entitled to cast one vote for each license held to elect the board member who is a surety or agent for a corporate surety.

(c) Each attorney who has a principal place of business located in the county and who is not legally prohibited from representing criminal defendants in the county is entitled to cast one vote to elect the board member who is a criminal defense attorney.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act regarding the election of certain county bail bond board members do not affect the entitlement of a member serving on a board immediately before the effective date of this Act to continue to serve and function as a member of the board for the remainder of the member's term. Those changes in law apply only to a member elected on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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