85R4684 KJE-D
 
  By: Alonzo H.B. No. 1214
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to pretrial hearings in criminal cases in certain courts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 28.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Section 4 to read as follows:
         Sec. 4.  (a)  A court shall set a pre-trial hearing in a
  criminal case if, not later than the 60th day before the date on
  which trial commences, the defendant requests the hearing.  The
  court must:
               (1)  hold the requested hearing not later than the 30th
  day before the date on which trial commences; and
               (2)  to the extent feasible, rule at the hearing on all
  pre-trial motions filed in the case.
         (b)  The failure of the court to comply with the requirements
  of Subsection (a) is not grounds for dismissal of a case against a
  defendant.
         (c)  The court may not sustain a motion to set aside an
  indictment, information, or complaint for failure to provide a
  speedy trial, as described by Article 28.061, based solely on the
  failure of the court to comply with the requirements of Subsection
  (a).
         (d)  This section does not apply to a case in which the
  offense:
               (1)  is punishable by fine only;
               (2)  is punishable by a fine and a sanction not
  consisting of confinement or imprisonment; or
               (3)  is an offense under Chapter 106, Alcoholic
  Beverage Code, the punishment for which does not include
  confinement as an authorized sanction.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies only to a criminal case in which
  the indictment or information is presented to the court on or after
  the effective date of this Act. A criminal case in which the
  indictment or information is presented to the court before the
  effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
  date the indictment or information is presented, and the former law
  is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.