BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 342

By: Canales

Corrections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties are concerned that there is not enough communication between the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and sentencing courts regarding the duration that defendants have been received into the custody of state jail felony facilities. H.B. 342 seeks to address this issue by imposing certain notice requirements.

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

H.B. 342 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, not later than the 60th day after the date a defendant is received into the custody of a state jail felony facility, to notify the sentencing court by email or other electronic communication of the date on which the defendant will have served 75 days in the facility.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.