By: Canales (Senate Sponsor - Perry) H.B. No. 2446
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2021;
  May 10, 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 the reimbursement of expenses to certain counsel
  appointed to represent a defendant in a criminal proceeding.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 26.05, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (d-1) to
  read as follows:
         (d)  A counsel in a noncapital case, other than an attorney
  with a public defender's office, appointed to represent a defendant
  under this code shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary
  expenses, including expenses for:
               (1)  investigation;
               (2)  [and for] mental health and other experts; and
               (3)  if the defendant is imprisoned in a correctional
  facility located more than 50 miles from the court in which the
  defendant's proceeding is pending:
                     (A)  travel to the defendant's location for a
  confidential interview; or 
                     (B)  any costs associated with remotely
  conducting a confidential interview with the defendant.
         (d-1)  Expenses under Subsection (d) incurred with prior
  court approval shall be reimbursed in the same manner provided for
  capital cases by Articles 26.052(f) and (g), and expenses under
  that subsection incurred without prior court approval shall be
  reimbursed in the manner provided for capital cases by Article
  26.052(h).
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to expenses incurred on or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
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