88R12501 MZM-F
 
  By: Anderson H.B. No. 3603
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the payment of restitution by a person released on
  parole or to mandatory supervision.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 508.322, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) and adding Subsections
  (c-1) and (c-2) to read as follows:
         (c)  When a parole panel orders the payment of restitution
  from a releasee as provided by Article 42.037(h), Code of Criminal
  Procedure, the department shall:
               (1)  collect the payment for disbursement to the
  victim;
               (2)  deposit the payment in the releasee restitution
  fund; and
               (3)  transmit the payment to the clerk of the court that
  entered the order of restitution [to the victim] as soon as
  practicable for the clerk to remit the payment to the victim.
         (c-1)  The department shall include the releasee's name and
  other relevant identifying information, the cause number, and the
  payment amount when transmitting a payment to the clerk of the court
  under Subsection (c)(3).
         (c-2)  On receipt of a payment transmitted to the clerk of
  the court under Subsection (c)(3), the clerk shall process and
  account for the payment in the same manner as if the payment had
  been made directly to the clerk.
         (d)  If a victim who is entitled to restitution cannot be
  located, immediately after receiving a final payment in
  satisfaction of an order of restitution for the victim, the clerk of
  the court [department] shall attempt to notify the victim of that
  fact by certified mail, mailed to the last known address of the
  victim.  If a victim then makes a claim for payment, the clerk of
  the court [department] promptly shall remit the payment to the
  victim.
         (e)  If a victim who is entitled to restitution does not make
  a claim for payment before the fifth anniversary of the date the
  clerk of the court [department] receives the initial restitution
  payment or if, after the victim makes a claim for payment, the clerk
  [department] is unable to locate the victim for a period of five
  years after the date the clerk [department] last made a payment to
  the victim, any unclaimed restitution payments being held by the
  clerk [department] for payment to the victim are presumed
  abandoned.  The clerk of the court [department] shall report and
  deliver to the comptroller all unclaimed restitution payments
  presumed abandoned under this section in the manner provided by
  Chapter 77, Property Code.
         (f)  If on March 1 a clerk of the court [department] is not
  holding unclaimed restitution payments that are presumed abandoned
  under this section, the clerk [department] shall file a property
  report under Section 77.051, Property Code, that certifies that the
  clerk [department] is not holding any unclaimed restitution
  payments that are presumed abandoned under this section.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect December 1, 2023.