Bill Text: TX HB721 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the release to mandatory supervision of certain inmates confined in a county jail.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/21 [HB721 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB721-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 721 | ||
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| relating to the release to mandatory supervision of certain inmates | ||
| confined in a county jail. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 508.1471 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 508.1471. RELEASE TO MANDATORY SUPERVISION OF CERTAIN | ||
| INMATES CONFINED IN COUNTY JAIL. (a) This section applies only to | ||
| an inmate who, at the time the inmate is sentenced to a term of | ||
| imprisonment in the department, is: | ||
| (1) confined in a county jail; and | ||
| (2) eligible for immediate release to mandatory | ||
| supervision. | ||
| (b) Before an inmate is released from a county jail to | ||
| mandatory supervision, the department shall provide notice to a | ||
| victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a deceased victim | ||
| that the inmate is eligible for release to mandatory supervision. | ||
| The notice must be sent to the address provided in the victim impact | ||
| statement or submitted under Section 508.117(b) and must state that | ||
| the victim, guardian, or close relative may submit, not later than | ||
| the 14th day after the date of the notice, a written statement to | ||
| the parole panel considering the inmate's release regarding: | ||
| (1) the offense; | ||
| (2) the inmate; and | ||
| (3) the effect of the offense on the victim, guardian, | ||
| or close relative. | ||
| (c) Notwithstanding any other law, the parole panel may | ||
| interview a victim, guardian of a victim, or close relative of a | ||
| deceased victim regarding the release of the inmate to mandatory | ||
| supervision. | ||
| (d) In this section, "victim," "guardian of a victim," and | ||
| "close relative of a deceased victim" have the meanings assigned by | ||
| Section 508.117. | ||
| SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a | ||
| defendant who is sentenced for an offense on or after the effective | ||
| date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense is committed | ||
| before, on, or after that date. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 721 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 30, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 6, 2 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 721 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 | ||
| present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 721 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 25, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
| 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
