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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the confinement in a county jail of a person pending a |
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transfer to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and to the |
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compensation for certain costs of confinement. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 499.071, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 499.071. SCHEDULED ADMISSIONS POLICY. The board shall |
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adopt and enforce a scheduled admissions policy that requires |
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[permits] the department [institutional division] to accept |
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persons [inmates] within 45 days of processing as required by |
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Section 499.1215 [499.121(c)]. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 499, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 499.1215 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 499.1215. TRANSFER TO DEPARTMENT; COMPENSATION TO |
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COUNTIES. (a) The department shall accept custody of a person |
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awaiting transfer to the department following conviction of a |
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felony, including a state jail felony, not later than the 45th day |
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following the date on which all documents required by Sections 8(a) |
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and (c), Article 42.09, Code of Criminal Procedure, have been |
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received by the department and certified as provided by Section |
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8(b) of that article. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), if the department |
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does not take custody of a person within the period prescribed by |
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Subsection (a), the department shall compensate the county for the |
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cost of confinement for each day that the person remains confined in |
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the county jail following the expiration of that period. The |
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compensation must be equal to the amount that would have been |
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incurred by the department to confine the person for that period. |
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(c) If a person remains confined in the county jail |
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following the expiration of the period prescribed by Subsection (a) |
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due to a delay caused by the county: |
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(1) the county is not entitled to compensation under |
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Subsection (b) for any day that the person remains confined due to |
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the delay caused by the county; and |
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(2) the county and the department shall arrange to |
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transfer the person to the department as soon as practicable after |
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the delay. |
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SECTION 3. Section 8(b), Article 42.09, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall not take |
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a defendant into custody under this article until the designated |
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officer receives the documents required by Subsections (a) and (c) |
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of this section and determines that the documents do not contain any |
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errors or deficiencies requiring corrective action by the county. |
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If the designated officer determines the documents do not require |
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any corrective action, the [The] designated officer shall certify |
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under the seal of the department the documents received under |
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Subsections (a) and (c) of this section. A document certified under |
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this subsection is self-authenticated for the purposes of Rules 901 |
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and 902, Texas Rules of Evidence. |
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SECTION 4. Section 499.121(c), Government Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 5. Not later than December 31, 2023, the Texas Board |
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of Criminal Justice shall adopt the scheduled admissions policy |
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required by Section 499.071, Government Code, as amended by this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 6. Section 499.1215, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to compensation to a county for the cost of |
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confinement of a person that occurs on or after January 1, 2024, |
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regardless of whether the requirements under that section for |
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transfer of the person to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice |
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are completed before, on, or after that date. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |