Bill Text: TX HB976 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the issuance of a warrant or summons by a magistrate.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 14-3)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective immediately [HB976 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB976-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 976 | ||
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| relating to the issuance of a warrant or summons by a magistrate. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Article 15.03, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended by adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (c) For purposes of Subdivision 2, Subsection (a), a person | ||
| may appear before the magistrate in person or the person's image may | ||
| be presented to the magistrate through an electronic broadcast | ||
| system. | ||
| (d) A recording of the communication between the person and | ||
| the magistrate must be made if the person's image is presented | ||
| through an electronic broadcast system under Subsection (c). If | ||
| the defendant is charged with the offense, the recording must be | ||
| preserved until: | ||
| (1) the defendant is acquitted of the offense; or | ||
| (2) all appeals relating to the offense have been | ||
| exhausted. | ||
| (e) The counsel for the defendant may obtain a copy of the | ||
| recording on payment of an amount reasonably necessary to cover the | ||
| costs of reproducing the recording. | ||
| (f) In this article, "electronic broadcast system" means a | ||
| two-way electronic communication of image and sound between a | ||
| person and magistrate and includes secure Internet | ||
| videoconferencing. | ||
| SECTION 2. 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, 2011. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 976 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 26, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 976 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 19, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0 | ||
| . | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
