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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the payment of certain fines and court costs by an |
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inmate during a term of imprisonment or following release from the |
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Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 42.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Section 17 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 17. In addition to the information described by |
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Section 1, the judgment must reflect the inmate's right under |
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Article 42.153 to defer payment of certain fines and court costs |
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owed to the state. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 42, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Article 42.153 to read as follows: |
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Art. 42.153. DEFERRED PAYMENT OF CERTAIN FINES AND COURT |
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COSTS. (a) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by |
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Subsection (c), a person sentenced to imprisonment in the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice is not required to pay any fines or |
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court costs owed to the state: |
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(1) during the term of imprisonment, including while |
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the person is confined in a county jail awaiting transfer to the |
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department; or |
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(2) before the 181st day after the person's release: |
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(A) following completion of the person's |
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sentence; or |
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(B) on parole or to mandatory supervision. |
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(b) Not later than the 30th day following the person's |
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release as described by Subsection (a)(2), the person shall contact |
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the clerk of the court in each jurisdiction where the person owes |
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fines or court costs and enter into a payment plan with the clerk of |
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the court. |
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(c) This section does not apply to amounts owed for |
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restitution or to amounts owed for supervision fees assessed as a |
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condition of release. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a |
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defendant who is sentenced for an offense on or after the effective |
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date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense is committed |
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before, on, or after that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |