Bill Text: TX HR572 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the 62nd anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2025-04-21 - Reported enrolled [HR572 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HR572-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 572 | ||
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| WHEREAS, March 18, 2025, marks the 62nd anniversary of the | ||
| landmark Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v.Wainwright, which found | ||
| that under the United States Constitution, state courts must | ||
| provide attorneys to indigent defendants in all felony cases; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In Gideon v. Wainwright, the United States Supreme | ||
| Court unanimously reaffirmed the right of defendants to a fair | ||
| trial and recognized that our adversarial system of criminal | ||
| justice depends upon a fair contest between the prosecution and the | ||
| defense, and that this contest is an effective means of arriving at | ||
| just results only when both the prosecution and the defense are | ||
| adequately prepared and equipped to present their case effectively | ||
| under the law; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Because the assistance of counsel is essential to | ||
| effectuate a meaningful defense when faced with prosecution by the | ||
| state, the 77th Texas Legislature passed the Fair Defense Act of | ||
| 2001 to better ensure that the constitutional rights of all Texans | ||
| would be more reliably safeguarded; and | ||
| WHEREAS, To ensure the rights guaranteed in Gideon | ||
| v. Wainwright, the Fair Defense Act established the Task Force on | ||
| Indigent Defense, which was elevated to permanent agency status as | ||
| the Texas Indigent Defense Commission; the task force and the | ||
| commission have enabled many more people to receive public defense | ||
| services and earlier access to counsel, while also improving the | ||
| quality of legal assistance provided; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The commission also provides technical support to | ||
| counties to develop and maintain quality, cost-effective public | ||
| defense systems and offers financial assistance to meet the new | ||
| requirements and to foster innovation in the way that public | ||
| defense services are provided; state grant funds administered by | ||
| the commission have led to the creation of many new public defender | ||
| offices and managed assigned counsel programs to provide public | ||
| defense services in more than 82 counties, and the commission is | ||
| actively working to address the rural attorney shortage crisis by | ||
| establishing more rural regional public defender offices; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Gideon v. Wainwright marked a turning point in | ||
| American jurisprudence, and by affirming essential principles of | ||
| fairness and justice, the decision has played a crucial role in | ||
| guaranteeing access to counsel for all; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby commemorate the 62nd anniversary of Gideon | ||
| v. Wainwright and commend the Texas Indigent Defense Commission on | ||
| its work to improve the administration of justice in this state. | ||
| Smithee | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 572 was adopted by the House on April | ||
| 17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 133, Nays 7, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
