BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 295

By: Murr

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent legislation enacted by the 84th Legislature allocated certain funds for the use of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to distribute through grants to counties to provide indigent defense services. However, the commission does not currently have the authority needed to use the funds previously allocated, which leaves the commission with funding it is unable to utilize. H.B. 295 seeks to address this issue by authorizing the use of those funds for the purposes needed to assist counties.

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. 295 amends the Government Code to specify that grants distributed by the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to assist counties in providing indigent defense services may be used for improving the provision of those services in the county. The bill makes a nonprofit corporation that provides indigent defense services or indigent defense support services in the county eligible to receive such a grant. The bill clarifies that technical support provided by the commission to assist counties in improving their indigent defense systems is for improving their systems for providing indigent defense services, including indigent defense support services.

H.B. 295 repeals Section 79.037(e), Government Code, as added by Chapter 56 (S.B. 1353), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.