Bill Text: TX SB1649 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the provision of funding for indigent defense services and to the representation of indigent defendants in criminal cases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-21 - Placed on General State Calendar [SB1649 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB1649-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to the provision of funding for indigent defense services and to the representation of indigent defendants in criminal cases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-21 - Placed on General State Calendar [SB1649 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB1649-Introduced.html
86R4862 AJZ-D | ||
By: Kolkhorst | S.B. No. 1649 |
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relating to assistance with the establishment and oversight of | ||
public defenders' offices and a review of criminal defense | ||
attorney's fees by the Texas Indigent Defense Commission. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 79, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Sections 79.043 and 79.044 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 79.043. ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC DEFENDERS' OFFICES. | ||
(a) In this section, "public defender's office" has the meaning | ||
assigned by Article 26.044, Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
(b) The commission shall offer assistance to counties in the | ||
establishment and oversight of public defenders' offices. Except | ||
as provided by Subsection (c), the commission may offer the | ||
assistance described by this subsection only to counties with | ||
populations of less than 50,000. | ||
(c) The commission may offer the assistance described by | ||
Subsection (b) to a county with a population of 50,000 or more only | ||
if there is an existing effort to establish and develop a public | ||
defender's office in that county. The commission shall offer the | ||
assistance described by Subsection (b) to counties with a | ||
population of 50,000 or more if public defenders' offices exist in | ||
all counties with populations of less than 50,000. | ||
(d) The commission shall establish policies and procedures | ||
for the operation and administration of a public defender's office. | ||
(e) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, | ||
the commission shall submit to the governor and the legislature a | ||
report that includes: | ||
(1) a plan and a timeline for establishing public | ||
defenders' offices in counties with populations of less than | ||
50,000; and | ||
(2) a report on the number of public defenders' offices | ||
established with the commission's assistance under this section. | ||
Sec. 79.044. REVIEW OF ATTORNEY'S FEES. The commission | ||
shall conduct an annual review of criminal defense attorney's fees | ||
in this state to ensure that attorneys are charging equitable, | ||
consistent, and fair rates to defendants in criminal cases across | ||
the state. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |