88R6546 MCF-F
 
  By: Sherman, Sr. H.B. No. 5114
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the award of work-for-time credits to certain persons
  placed on community supervision or released on parole or to
  mandatory supervision.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  This Act may be cited as the Earning Safe Reentry
  Through Work Act.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter O, Chapter 42A, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended by adding Articles 42A.703 and 42A.704 to
  read as follows:
         Art. 42A.703.  WORK-FOR-TIME CREDIT.  (a)  In this article:
               (1)  "Business day" means a day other than Saturday,
  Sunday, or a state or federal holiday.
               (2)  "Division" means the community justice assistance
  division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
               (3)  "Supporting documentation" means documentation
  verifying a defendant's employment, including an employment
  record, letter, or contract or pay stubs.
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), a defendant placed
  on community supervision is entitled to receive time credits toward
  the completion of the defendant's period of community supervision
  in an amount equal to five days for each 30-day period in which the
  defendant was employed not less than 130 hours, as verified under
  Subsection (e).
         (c)  A defendant may not receive time credits under this
  article during the 60-day period preceding the expiration of the
  defendant's period of community supervision, taking into account
  any time credits to which the defendant is entitled under this
  article and Article 42A.702.
         (d)  A defendant shall, for each 30-day period described by
  Subsection (b), submit to the defendant's supervision officer
  supporting documentation not later than the fifth business day
  after the expiration of the 30-day period.
         (e)  A supervision officer to whom supporting documentation
  is submitted under Subsection (d) shall:
               (1)  verify the defendant was employed not less than
  130 hours during the 30-day period; and
               (2)  enter the supporting documentation and record the
  time credits received in the system developed under Subsection (g)
  not later than the fifth business day after receiving the
  supporting documentation.
         (f)  If a supervision officer is not able to verify the
  defendant's employment according to the received supporting
  documentation, the officer shall:
               (1)  deny the time credits; and
               (2)  record the denial in the system developed under
  Subsection (g).
         (g)  The division shall:
               (1)  establish a system to record and track time
  credits received or denied under this article; and
               (2)  require each community supervision and
  corrections department established under Chapter 76, Government
  Code, to use the system.
         (h)  The court that convicted the defendant shall order that
  all of the time credits to which the defendant is entitled under
  this article be forfeited if, before the expiration of the period of
  community supervision:
               (1)  the court revokes the defendant's community
  supervision; or
               (2)  the defendant is convicted of a new offense, other
  than a traffic offense that is punishable by fine only.
         (i)  Not later than the 60th day before the expiration of the
  defendant's period of community supervision, taking into account
  any time credits to which the defendant is entitled under this
  article and Article 42A.702, the defendant's supervision officer
  shall notify the court that convicted the defendant of the time
  credits received by the defendant under this article.
         Art. 42A.704.  NOTIFICATION TO COURT OF TIME CREDITS. A
  defendant's supervision officer shall notify the court if the time
  credits to which the defendant is entitled under Articles 42A.702
  and 42A.703, cumulated with the amount of the original community
  supervision period the defendant has completed, allow or require
  the court to conduct a review of the defendant's community
  supervision under Article 42A.701.  On receipt of the notice from
  the supervision officer, the court shall conduct the review of the
  defendant's community supervision to determine if the defendant is
  eligible for a reduction or termination of community supervision
  under Article 42A.701, taking into account any time credits to
  which the defendant is entitled under Articles 42A.702 and 42A.703
  in determining if the defendant has completed, as applicable:
               (1)  the lesser of one-third of the original community
  supervision period or two years of community supervision; or
               (2)  the greater of one-half of the original community
  supervision period or two years of community supervision.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 508.1559 to read as follows:
         Sec. 508.1559.  WORK-FOR-TIME CREDIT.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Business day" means a day other than Saturday,
  Sunday, or a state or federal holiday.
               (2)  "Supporting documentation" means documentation
  verifying a releasee's employment, including an employment record,
  letter, or contract or pay stubs.
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), a releasee is
  entitled to receive time credits toward the completion of the
  releasee's period of parole or mandatory supervision in an amount
  equal to five days for each 30-day period in which the releasee was
  employed not less than 130 hours, as verified under Subsection (e).
         (c)  A releasee may not receive time credits under this
  section during the 60-day period preceding the expiration of the
  releasee's period of parole or mandatory supervision, taking into
  account any time credits to which the releasee is entitled under
  this section.
         (d)  A releasee shall, for each 30-day period described by
  Subsection (b), submit to the releasee's parole officer supporting
  documentation not later than the fifth business day after the
  expiration of the 30-day period.
         (e)  A parole officer to whom supporting documentation is
  submitted under Subsection (d) shall:
               (1)  verify the releasee was employed not less than 130
  hours during the 30-day period; and
               (2)  enter the supporting documentation and record the
  time credits received in the system developed under Subsection (g)
  not later than the fifth business day after receiving the
  supporting documentation.
         (f)  If a parole officer is not able to verify the releasee's
  employment according to the received supporting documentation, the
  officer shall:
               (1)  deny the time credits; and
               (2)  record the denial in the system developed under
  Subsection (g).
         (g)  The division shall:
               (1)  establish a system to record and track time
  credits received or denied under this section; and
               (2)  require each parole officer to use the system.
         (h)  If a releasee's parole or mandatory supervision is
  revoked, all of the time credits to which the releasee is entitled
  under this section are forfeited and may not be credited toward the
  remaining portion of the releasee's sentence.
         SECTION 4.  Article 42A.702(f), Code of Criminal Procedure,
  is repealed.
         SECTION 5.  Not later than January 1, 2024:
               (1)  the community justice assistance division of the
  Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall establish the system to
  record and track time credits required under Article 42A.703, Code
  of Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act; and
               (2)  the pardons and paroles division of the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice shall establish the system to record
  and track time credits required under Section 508.1559, Government
  Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 6.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a person who is placed on community supervision or released on
  parole or to mandatory supervision for an offense committed on or
  after the effective date of this Act.  A person who is placed on
  community supervision or released on parole or to mandatory
  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
  occurred before that date.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.