By: Hughes, Birdwell  S.B. No. 1220
         (In the Senate - Filed February 11, 2025;
  February 28, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on
  State Affairs; March 17, 2025, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; March 17, 2025, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the subject matter jurisdiction of the criminal trial
  courts of this state.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 23, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 23.002 to read as follows:
         Sec. 23.002.  SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF CRIMINAL TRIAL
  COURTS NOT CONDITIONED ON EXHAUSTION OF CIVIL REMEDIES. Unless
  expressly provided otherwise, the exhaustion of civil, including
  administrative, remedies is not a prerequisite to the vesting in a
  trial court of subject matter jurisdiction over a criminal action
  for which the trial court would otherwise have jurisdiction under
  other law.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies to a criminal action commenced
  before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
 
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