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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to authorizing a court to require defendants confined in a |
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penal institution to appear by videoconference in criminal cases. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Article 1.028 to read as follows: |
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Art. 1.028. PRESENCE BY VIDEOCONFERENCE. Notwithstanding |
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any other provision of this code, a court may require a defendant |
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without the defendant's consent to appear, for any proceeding |
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related to the prosecution of a criminal offense, by |
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videoconference in the manner described by Article 27.18 if the |
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defendant is confined in a penal institution at the time of the |
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proceeding. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a criminal proceeding that commences on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. A criminal proceeding that commenced before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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date the proceeding commenced, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |