By: Allen, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Miles) H.B. No. 787

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021; April 19, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to conditions of community supervision prohibiting contact with certain persons.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 42A, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding Article 42A.3015 to read as follows:

Art. 42A.3015. PROHIBITING CONTACT WITH CERTAIN PERSONS. A judge who places a defendant on community supervision may not, as a condition of community supervision, prohibit the defendant from contacting or interacting with a person who belongs to an organization the membership of which includes persons who have criminal histories, including persons currently on community supervision or parole, and who engages in activities that the director of the community supervision and corrections department supervising the defendant determines, based on information provided by the organization's designated representative or other information, include:

(1) working with community members to address criminal justice issues;

(2) offering training and programs to assist formerly incarcerated persons; and

(3) advocating for criminal justice reform, including by engaging with state and local policy makers.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a defendant placed on community supervision on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense for which the defendant was placed on community supervision was committed before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.

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