88R14369 MCF-D
 
  By: Reynolds H.B. No. 4502
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to jury instructions regarding parole eligibility, to
  certain conditions of bail and community supervision, and to the
  early termination of community supervision and the dismissal and
  discharge of deferred adjudication community supervision.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 17.41(d), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  To the extent that a condition imposed under this
  article conflicts with an existing court order granting possession
  of or access to a child, the condition imposed under this article
  prevails for a period specified by the magistrate[, not to exceed 90
  days].
         SECTION 2.  Section 4(a), Article 37.07, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In the penalty phase of the trial of a felony case in
  which the punishment is to be assessed by the jury rather than the
  court, if the offense of which the jury has found the defendant
  guilty is an offense under Section 71.02, Penal Code, other than an
  offense punishable as a state jail felony under that section, an
  offense under Section 71.023, Penal Code, or an offense listed in
  Article 42A.054(a), or if the judgment contains an affirmative
  finding under Article 42A.054(c) or (d), unless the defendant has
  been convicted of an offense under Section 21.02, Penal Code, an
  offense under Section 22.021, Penal Code, that is punishable under
  Subsection (f) of that section, or a capital felony, the court shall
  charge the jury in writing as follows:
         "The length of time for which a defendant is imprisoned may be
  reduced by the award of parole.
         "Under the law applicable in this case, if the defendant is
  sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the defendant will not become
  eligible for parole until the actual time served equals one-half of
  the sentence imposed or 30 years, whichever is less. If the
  defendant was convicted of a second or third degree felony and is
  sentenced to a term of less than four years, the defendant must
  serve at least two years before the defendant is eligible for
  parole. Eligibility for parole does not guarantee that parole will
  be granted.
         "It cannot accurately be predicted how the parole law might
  be applied to this defendant if sentenced to a term of imprisonment,
  because the application of that law will depend on decisions made by
  parole authorities.
         "You may consider the existence of the parole law. You are
  not to consider the manner in which the parole law may be applied to
  this particular defendant."
         SECTION 3.  Article 42A.111(b), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The judge may dismiss the proceedings and discharge a
  defendant before the expiration of the period of deferred
  adjudication community supervision if, in the judge's opinion, the
  best interest of society and the defendant will be served, except
  that this subsection does not authorize the judge to [may not]
  dismiss the proceedings and discharge a defendant charged with an
  offense:
               (1)  under Section 21.12, 49.04, or 49.06, Penal Code;
               (2)  requiring the defendant to register as a sex
  offender under Chapter 62; or
               (3)  punishable as a felony and:
                     (A)  listed in Article 42A.054(a); or
                     (B)  for which the judge finds that a deadly
  weapon was used or exhibited during the commission of the offense or
  during the immediate flight from the commission of the offense.
         SECTION 4.  Article 42A.503(c), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  To the extent that a condition imposed under this
  article conflicts with an existing court order granting possession
  of or access to a child, the condition imposed under this article
  prevails for a period specified by the court granting community
  supervision[, not to exceed 90 days].
         SECTION 5.  Article 42A.701(g), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (g)  This article does not apply to a defendant convicted of:
               (1)  an offense under Section 21.12 or Sections
  49.04-49.08, Penal Code;
               (2)  an offense the conviction of which requires
  registration as a sex offender under Chapter 62; or
               (3)  a felony described by Article 42A.054.
         SECTION 6.  (a) Article 17.41, Code of Criminal Procedure,
  as amended by this Act, applies only to a person who is arrested on
  or after the effective date of this Act.  A person arrested before
  the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
  the date the person was arrested, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         (b)  Articles 42A.111, 42A.503, and 42A.701, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, as amended by this Act, apply only to a
  defendant placed on community supervision or deferred adjudication
  community supervision for an offense committed on or after the
  effective date of this Act.  A defendant placed on community
  supervision or deferred adjudication community supervision for an
  offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed
  by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For purposes
  of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date
  of this Act if any element of the offense was committed before that
  date.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.