BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3566

By: Flores

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current statute requires the creation of a bail bond board in all counties with a population of 110,000 or more. Bail bond boards conduct hearings and investigations and make determinations relating to the issuance, denial, or renewal of the licensure of bail bondsmen operating within that county. Bail bond board members consist of, among other stipulated members, the sheriff, a district judge presiding over criminal matters, the county judge, the district attorney, the district clerk, and the county treasurer. Bail bond boards are statutorily required to meet monthly. Boards in counties with populations under 150,000 have an exception to be able to meet at least four times each year. Applicants applying for renewal of their license in these smaller counties have a holdover provision available to them that ensures their license will not expire, regardless of their expiration date, until the next meeting of the board. The bill author has informed the committee that past meetings of the Travis County Bail Bond Board reflect minimal new business. C.S.H.B. 3566 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Travis County Bail Bond Board to meet at least six times each year and applying the same license renewal holdover provision available in smaller counties to Travis County.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3566 amends the Occupations Code to require a bail bond board in a county with a population of less than 1.3 million and containing a municipality with a population of 750,000 or more to meet as follows:

· at least six times each year during the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November at the call of the presiding officer; and

· at other times at the call of the presiding officer.

C.S.H.B. 3566 establishes that if a board in such a county tables a license holder's application for renewal or otherwise does not take action to approve or deny the application, the applicant's current license continues in effect until the next meeting of the board. This provision applies only to an application for renewal of a license filed with a county bail bond board on or after the bill's effective date. An application filed before that date is governed by the law in effect at the time the application was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

July 1, 2025, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3566 differs from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways to make technical corrections.