By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1666

(In the Senate - Filed February 27, 2025; March 11, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce; March 20, 2025, rereferred to Criminal Justice; April 23, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 23, 2025, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1666 By: Hagenbuch

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the payment of restitution.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 493.035, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (c-1), (c-2), and (c-3) to read as follows:

(c-1) The department shall transfer to the clerk of the court that entered an order of restitution for which the department received notice as described by Subsection (c)(1) a restitution payment derived from unclaimed property for which a claim was filed by the department as described by Subsection (a). The department shall include with the restitution payment the last known address of the victim available to the department, if any.

(c-2) The department shall post on the department's Internet website the contact information for a department employee who is able to respond to inquiries from county officials regarding a transferred restitution payment.

(c-3) Information provided to the clerk of a court under Subsection (c-1) is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552.

SECTION 2. Section 508.322, Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (c) and (e) and adding Subsection (c-3) 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 as soon as practicable for the clerk to remit the payment to the victim; and

(4) provide at the time the payment is transmitted under Subdivision (3) to the clerk of the court that entered the order of restitution the last known address of the victim available to the department, if any.

(c-3) Information provided to the clerk of a court under Subsection (c)(4) is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552.

(e) If a victim who is entitled to restitution does not make a claim for payment before the third [fifth] anniversary of the date the clerk of the court receives the initial restitution payment or if, after the victim makes a claim for payment, the clerk is unable to locate the victim for a period of three [five] years after the date the clerk last made a payment to the victim, any unclaimed restitution payments being held by the clerk for payment to the victim are presumed abandoned. The clerk of the court 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.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

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