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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, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (g-1) to read as follows: |
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(g-1) This subsection applies only to a defendant who at the |
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time of sentencing to confinement or placement on community |
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supervision, including deferred adjudication community |
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supervision, did not have the financial resources to pay the |
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maximum amount described by Subsection (g)(1) or (2), as |
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applicable, for legal services provided to the defendant. At any |
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time during a defendant's sentence of confinement or period of |
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community supervision, the judge, after providing written notice to |
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the defendant and an opportunity for the defendant to present |
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information relevant to the defendant's ability to pay, may order a |
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defendant to whom this subsection applies to pay any unpaid portion |
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of that amount if the judge determines that the defendant has the |
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financial resources to pay the additional portion. In making a |
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determination under this subsection, the judge may only consider |
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the information a court or courts' designee is authorized to |
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consider in making an indigency determination under Article |
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26.04(m). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |