HBA-JEK H.B. 1659 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1659
By: Ritter
Corrections
3/11/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Sometimes defendants or inmates are temporarily transferred from the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to a county in order to testify in
court.  Current law requires TDCJ to maintain a notification system to
provide information to victims on the location of an offender.  A county is
not, however, required to inform TDCJ if a defendant or inmate is released
from custody while the person is away from TDCJ as a witness in a court
proceeding.  If such notification is not made, a person calling TDCJ about
the location of a released offender will be told that the offender is still
in TDCJ control.  House Bill 1659 requires a county to immediately notify
TDCJ if an inmate or defendant transferred from TDCJ to the county to
testify in court is released on bail or due to a dismissal of charges on
which the person was convicted. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1658 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require a county
after the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) transfers a defendant
or inmate to testify in court to immediately notify an officer designated
by TDCJ of the release of the defendant or inmate on bail or due to the
dismissal of any charges on which the person was convicted. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.