Bill Text: TX SB82 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to community supervision for certain drug possession offenses.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-26 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB82 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SB82-Introduced.html

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84R605 JSC-D
By: Ellis S.B. No. 82

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to community supervision for certain drug possession
offenses.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 15(a)(1) and (2), Article 42.12, Code
of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
(a)(1) On conviction of a state jail felony under Section
[481.115(b), 481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b),] 481.1161(b)(3),
481.121(b)(3), or 481.129(g)(1), Health and Safety Code, that is
punished under Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, the judge shall
suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on
community supervision, unless the defendant has previously been
convicted of a felony, other than a felony punished under Section
12.44(a), Penal Code, or unless the conviction resulted from an
adjudication of the guilt of a defendant previously placed on
deferred adjudication community supervision for the offense, in
which event the judge may suspend the imposition of the sentence and
place the defendant on community supervision or may order the
sentence to be executed. The provisions of this subdivision
requiring the judge to suspend the imposition of the sentence and
place the defendant on community supervision do not apply to a
defendant who:
(A) [under Section 481.1151(b)(1), Health and
Safety Code, possessed more than five abuse units of the controlled
substance;
[(B)] under Section 481.1161(b)(3), Health and
Safety Code, possessed more than one pound, by aggregate weight,
including adulterants or dilutants, of the controlled substance; or
(B) [(C)] under Section 481.121(b)(3), Health
and Safety Code, possessed more than one pound of marihuana.
(2) On conviction of a state jail felony punished
under Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, other than a state jail felony
listed in Subdivision (1) or defined as a drug possession offense
under Section 15B, and subject to Subdivision (2-a), the judge may:
(A) suspend the imposition of the sentence and
place the defendant on community supervision; or
(B) order the sentence to be executed:
(i) in whole; or
(ii) in part, with a term of community
supervision to commence immediately on release of the defendant
from confinement.
SECTION 2. Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended by adding Section 15B to read as follows:
Sec. 15B. COMMUNITY SUPERVISION FOR POSSESSION OF
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. (a) In this section, "drug possession
offense" means an offense under:
(1) Section 481.115, Health and Safety Code, that is
punishable as a state jail felony or felony of the third degree;
(2) Section 481.1151 or 481.116, Health and Safety
Code, that is punishable as a state jail felony; or
(3) Section 481.1161 or 481.121, Health and Safety
Code, that is punishable as a Class A or B misdemeanor.
(b) On conviction of a drug possession offense, the judge
shall suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the
defendant on community supervision, except that the judge may order
the sentence to be executed in whole, or executed in part with a
term of community supervision to commence immediately on release of
the defendant from confinement, if:
(1) the judge determines by a preponderance of the
evidence that the defendant:
(A) is a danger to the safety of others; or
(B) possessed the controlled substance with the
intent to deliver the substance in violation of Section 481.112,
481.1121, 481.113, or 481.120, Health and Safety Code, as
applicable;
(2) the defendant has been previously convicted of an
offense other than:
(A) a drug possession offense or a state jail
felony listed in Section 15(a)(1); or
(B) an offense under the Transportation Code
punishable by fine only or an offense related to a pedestrian or the
parking of a motor vehicle punishable by fine only;
(3) the defendant is convicted in the same proceeding
of an additional offense, other than:
(A) a drug possession offense or a state jail
felony listed in Section 15(a)(1); or
(B) an offense under the Transportation Code
punishable by fine only or an offense related to a pedestrian or the
parking of a motor vehicle punishable by fine only;
(4) the judge determines that a drug treatment program
or other treatment services that are appropriate for the defendant
are not available in the area in which the defendant resides; or
(5) the judge determines by clear and convincing
evidence, based on an evidence-based drug and alcohol assessment,
that the defendant is unlikely to benefit from participation in a
course of treatment in a drug treatment program or facility, and the
defendant has been previously:
(A) convicted on two or more occasions of a drug
possession offense or state jail felony listed in Section 15(a)(1);
or
(B) discharged from a drug court program
established under Chapter 123, Government Code, after failing to
successfully complete the program.
(c) A judge who makes a determination described by
Subsection (b)(1), (4), or (5) to execute the defendant's sentence
in whole or in part shall enter the reasons for making that
determination in the record of the proceeding.
(d) The judge may suspend in whole or in part the imposition
of any fine imposed on a conviction if a defendant is placed on
community supervision under this section.
(e) A court granting community supervision under this
section shall require as a condition of community supervision that
the defendant:
(1) submit to an evidence-based risks and needs
screening and evaluation procedure approved by the community
justice assistance division of the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, including a procedure developed under Section 509.003(d),
Government Code;
(2) if the evaluation indicates a need for treatment,
participate in a prescribed course of treatment in a drug treatment
program or facility:
(A) licensed or approved by the Department of
State Health Services; or
(B) that complies with standards established by
the community justice assistance division of the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice; and
(3) pay a fee to cover all or part of the cost of the
course of treatment based on the defendant's ability to pay.
(f) A course of treatment under Subsection (e)(2) may
include:
(1) treatment in a faith-based program;
(2) outpatient treatment;
(3) halfway house treatment;
(4) narcotic replacement therapy prescribed by a
physician;
(5) drug education or prevention courses; and
(6) inpatient or residential drug treatment to address
special detoxification, relapse, or severe dependence issues.
(g) In referring a defendant to a course of treatment under
Subsection (e)(2) and imposing conditions for participation in the
course of treatment, the judge shall order the defendant to
participate in the level of treatment that the evaluation indicates
is appropriate for the defendant to achieve:
(1) the outcome objectives prescribed by the drug
treatment program or facility; and
(2) the recommendations of a drug treatment
professional.
(h) A court granting community supervision under this
section may require as a condition of community supervision, in
addition to any required participation in a course of treatment
under Subsection (e)(2) and other appropriate conditions, that the
defendant participate in:
(1) vocational training;
(2) family counseling;
(3) literacy training; or
(4) community service.
(i) Notwithstanding Section 21(b), if a defendant placed on
community supervision under this section violates the terms of that
supervision by committing another drug possession offense or state
jail felony listed in Section 15(a)(1) or by violating any
treatment-related condition of supervision, the judge may:
(1) use graduated sanctions and incentives offered to
a defendant by the community supervision and corrections department
supervising the defendant or the courts served by that department,
including:
(A) global positioning or another form of
electronic monitoring;
(B) mental health treatment or cognitive and
behavioral programs;
(C) alcohol or substance abuse monitoring and
testing;
(D) faith-based community programs and
resources, including mentoring programs;
(E) placing the defendant under the supervision
of a supervision officer with a reduced or specialized caseload and
subjecting the defendant to increased home visits and field
contacts, if sufficient resources are available;
(F) strategies to reduce the number of technical
violations committed by the defendant; and
(G) increased coordination between the court and
the community supervision and corrections department supervising
the defendant; and
(2) revoke the community supervision of the defendant
if the judge determines by a preponderance of the evidence that the
defendant:
(A) poses a danger to the safety of others; or
(B) is unlikely to benefit from a course of
treatment in a drug treatment program or facility.
(j) A judge who modifies a defendant's conditions of
supervision in response to the defendant's commission of another
drug possession offense or state jail felony listed in Section
15(a)(1) or violation of a treatment-related condition of
supervision shall consider imposing one or more of the following
additional conditions of supervision:
(1) intensified drug treatment;
(2) vocational training;
(3) family counseling;
(4) literacy education;
(5) community service;
(6) intensive supervision; and
(7) confinement under Section 18 in an intermediate
sanction facility operated by or under contract with the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice for a period not to exceed 120 days.
(k) In making a determination under this section as to
whether a defendant is unlikely to benefit from participation in a
course of treatment in a drug treatment program or facility, the
judge shall consider whether the defendant has previously:
(1) committed a serious violation of the rules of a
drug treatment program or facility; or
(2) repeatedly committed violations of the rules of a
drug treatment program or facility to an extent that inhibited the
defendant's ability to function in the program or facility.
(l) After successful completion of a term of community
supervision imposed under this section, including completion of any
required course of treatment in a drug treatment program or
facility, a defendant may petition the court for dismissal of the
charges. If the judge, after providing notice and giving attorneys
for the defendant and the state an opportunity to be heard,
determines that the defendant substantially complied with the
conditions of supervision and successfully completed any required
course of treatment, the judge shall discharge the defendant, set
aside the verdict or permit the defendant to withdraw the plea, and
dismiss the accusation, complaint, information, or indictment in
the manner provided by Section 20(a).
(m) The drug treatment program account is created as a
dedicated account in the general revenue fund of the state
treasury. Money in the account may be appropriated only to the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice for distribution to drug
treatment programs or facilities that provide a course of treatment
to defendants under this section and that apply for the money.
Funds collected and distributed under this subsection are subject
to audit by the comptroller.
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 102, Code of Criminal
Procedure, is amended by adding Article 102.0179 to read as
follows:
Art. 102.0179. ADDITIONAL COSTS ATTENDANT TO CERTAIN
INTOXICATION AND DRUG CONVICTIONS. (a) In addition to other costs
on conviction imposed by this chapter, including costs described by
Article 102.0178, a person shall pay $50 as a court cost on
conviction of any offense under Chapter 49, Penal Code, or Chapter
481, Health and Safety Code.
(b) In this article, a person is considered to have been
convicted if:
(1) a sentence is imposed;
(2) the person is placed on community supervision,
including deferred adjudication community supervision; or
(3) the court defers final disposition of the person's
case.
(c) Court costs under this article are collected in the same
manner as other fines or costs. An officer collecting the costs
shall send to the comptroller costs collected under this article
for deposit to the credit of the drug treatment program account
established under Section 15B, Article 42.12.
SECTION 4. Section 102.021, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 102.021. COURT COSTS ON CONVICTION: CODE OF CRIMINAL
PROCEDURE. A person convicted of an offense shall pay the
following under the Code of Criminal Procedure, in addition to all
other costs:
(1) court cost on conviction of any offense, other
than a conviction of an offense relating to a pedestrian or the
parking of a motor vehicle (Art. 102.0045, Code of Criminal
Procedure) . . . $4;
(2) a fee for services of prosecutor (Art. 102.008,
Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $25;
(3) fees for services of peace officer:
(A) issuing a written notice to appear in court
for certain violations (Art. 102.011, Code of Criminal Procedure) .
. . $5;
(B) executing or processing an issued arrest
warrant, capias, or capias pro fine (Art. 102.011, Code of Criminal
Procedure) . . . $50;
(C) summoning a witness (Art. 102.011, Code of
Criminal Procedure) . . . $5;
(D) serving a writ not otherwise listed (Art.
102.011, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $35;
(E) taking and approving a bond and, if
necessary, returning the bond to courthouse (Art. 102.011, Code of
Criminal Procedure) . . . $10;
(F) commitment or release (Art. 102.011, Code of
Criminal Procedure) . . . $5;
(G) summoning a jury (Art. 102.011, Code of
Criminal Procedure) . . . $5;
(H) attendance of a prisoner in habeas corpus
case if prisoner has been remanded to custody or held to bail (Art.
102.011, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $8 each day;
(I) mileage for certain services performed (Art.
102.011, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $0.29 per mile; and
(J) services of a sheriff or constable who serves
process and attends examining trial in certain cases (Art. 102.011,
Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . not to exceed $5;
(4) services of a peace officer in conveying a witness
outside the county (Art. 102.011, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . .
$10 per day or part of a day, plus actual necessary travel expenses;
(5) overtime of peace officer for time spent
testifying in the trial or traveling to or from testifying in the
trial (Art. 102.011, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . actual cost;
(6) court costs on an offense relating to rules of the
road, when offense occurs within a school crossing zone (Art.
102.014, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $25;
(7) court costs on an offense of passing a school bus
(Art. 102.014, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $25;
(8) court costs on an offense of truancy or
contributing to truancy (Art. 102.014, Code of Criminal Procedure)
. . . $20;
(9) cost for visual recording of intoxication arrest
before conviction (Art. 102.018, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . .
$15;
(10) cost of certain evaluations (Art. 102.018, Code
of Criminal Procedure) . . . actual cost;
(11) additional costs attendant to certain
intoxication convictions under Chapter 49, Penal Code, for
emergency medical services, trauma facilities, and trauma care
systems (Art. 102.0185, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $100;
(12) additional costs attendant to certain child
sexual assault and related convictions, for child abuse prevention
programs (Art. 102.0186, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $100;
(13) court cost for DNA testing for certain felonies
(Art. 102.020(a)(1), Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $250;
(14) court cost for DNA testing for the offense of
public lewdness or indecent exposure (Art. 102.020(a)(2), Code of
Criminal Procedure) . . . $50;
(15) court cost for DNA testing for certain felonies
(Art. 102.020(a)(3), Code of Criminal Procedure) . . . $34;
(16) if required by the court, a restitution fee for
costs incurred in collecting restitution installments and for the
compensation to victims of crime fund (Art. 42.037, Code of
Criminal Procedure) . . . $12;
(17) if directed by the justice of the peace or
municipal court judge hearing the case, court costs on conviction
in a criminal action (Art. 45.041, Code of Criminal Procedure) . . .
part or all of the costs as directed by the judge; [and]
(18) costs attendant to convictions under Chapter 49,
Penal Code, and under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, to help
fund drug court programs established under Chapter 122, 123, 124,
or 125, Government Code, or former law (Art. 102.0178, Code of
Criminal Procedure) . . . $60; and
(19) costs attendant to convictions under Chapter 49,
Penal Code, and under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, for
certain drug treatment programs and facilities (Art. 102.0179, Code
of Criminal Procedure) . . . $50.
SECTION 5. Chapter 509, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 509.018 to read as follows:
Sec. 509.018. ANNUAL REPORT ON COMMUNITY SUPERVISION WITH
DRUG TREATMENT. (a) Not later than December 1 of each year, the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall study and report to the
legislature on the effectiveness and financial impact to the state
during the preceding state fiscal year of placing defendants on
community supervision with drug treatment for a drug possession
offense under Section 15B, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal
Procedure.
(b) The study and report must include an analysis of:
(1) the implementation of Section 15B, Article 42.12,
Code of Criminal Procedure, including the amount of cost savings
the state realizes through that implementation;
(2) the adequacy of funding available for operation of
the programs described by Section 15B, Article 42.12, Code of
Criminal Procedure;
(3) the effect of implementing Section 15B, Article
42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, with respect to:
(A) incarceration costs incurred by the state and
local governments, including the cost of constructing prisons and
jails;
(B) the recidivism rate among defendants placed
on community supervision under Section 15B, Article 42.12, Code of
Criminal Procedure, compared with other defendants; and
(C) the number of defendants placed on community
supervision under Section 15B, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal
Procedure, who utilize state welfare benefits, compared with other
defendants; and
(4) other effects of or issues with implementing
Section 15B, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, that are
identified by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
(c) The comptroller shall verify the findings of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice in analyzing the cost savings
realized by the state through the implementation of Section 15B,
Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure. The Texas Department of
Criminal Justice may retain the amount of the actual savings
attributable to implementation of that section, to the extent that
the savings come from funds appropriated to the department and to
the extent the department distributed that amount to drug treatment
programs or facilities that provide a course of treatment to
defendants under that section. The Texas Department of Criminal
Justice may transfer savings attributable to implementation of that
section from the first year of the fiscal biennium to the second
year of the fiscal biennium, provided that the department uses the
full amount transferred for distribution to drug treatment programs
or facilities as described by this subsection.
SECTION 6. (a) In a criminal action under Section
481.115, 481.1151, 481.116, 481.1161, or 481.121, Health and Safety
Code, pending on or commenced on or after the effective date of this
Act, for an offense committed before the effective date of this Act,
the defendant, if adjudged guilty, shall be assessed the punishment
under Section 15B, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
added by this Act, if the offense is described by Section 15B(a) of
that article and the defendant meets the eligibility requirements
under that section and other law and so elects by written motion
filed with the trial court before the sentencing hearing begins.
(b) If the defendant does not make the election under
Subsection (a) of this section, punishment is covered by the law in
effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 7. Article 102.0179, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
added by this Act, applies only to a cost on conviction for an
offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An
offense committed before the effective date of this Act is covered
by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former
law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this
section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this
Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
SECTION 8. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall
submit to the legislature the first report required by Section
509.018, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than
December 1, 2016.
SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.