81st Legislative Session Summary

The Task Force on Indigent Defense develops legislative recommendations to improve the quality of indigent defense services in the state in accordance with Section 71.061, Government Code and the Legislative Policy adopted by the Task Force.

  INDIGENT DEFENSE RELATED BILLS Bill Status Report 05-29-2009 - 09:15:04

- Action in the date range    - Link to Related Information   ( ) - Priority
 

Indigent Defense

HB 199 (1)

Alonzo

Relating to longevity pay for assistant public defenders.

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Court Costs & Collections, Other Court Actors, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals

Bill History:

02-12-09 H Introduced and referred to committee on House State Affairs

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HB 228

Pitts

Relating to a defendant's payment of the costs of legal services provided by court-appointed counsel in a criminal case.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Court Costs & Collections, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

02-25-09 H Sent to subcommittee House Criminal Jurisprudence

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HB 498

McClendon Ellis

Relating to the creation of a commission to investigate and prevent wrongful convictions.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

05-27-09 S Passed (Vote: Y: 28/N: 3)

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HB 2058 (1)

Gallego Seliger

Relating to the standards for attorneys representing indigent defendants in capital cases.

Companions:

SB 1130 Seliger (Identical)   4- 8-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals

Bill History:

09-01-09 G Earliest effective date

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HB 3580 (1)

Gallego

Relating to the establishment of the capital writs committee and the office of capital writs.

Companions:

SB 1091 Ellis (Identical)   5-20-09 H Passed (Vote: Y:132/N: 6)

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, CVR, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

04-01-09 H Committee action pending House Criminal Jurisprudence

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HB 4178

Christian

Relating to the creation of the Reentry Policy Council to review corrections policies, programs, and procedures for inmates released into the community.

Companions:

SB 2280 Ellis (Identical)   5- 4-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, OCA/TJC, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

04-23-09 H Committee action pending House Corrections

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HB 4382

Gallego

Relating to standards of competency for attorneys appointed as counsel to indigent applicants in certain habeas corpus proceedings.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

04-09-09 H Subcommittee meeting set for 8:00 a.m., E2....House Criminal Jurisprudence

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SB 498

Wentworth

Relating to the release of a criminal defendant on partial bail and to the procedures governing a cash bond.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, JPs & Municipal Courts, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

04-23-09 S Meeting set for 1:30 P.M. or Adj., E1.012 Senate Criminal Justice

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SB 625 (1)

Wentworth Gallego

Relating to the representation of indigent defendants in criminal cases.

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals

Bill History:

05-23-09 H Set on the House Calendar

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SB 1091 (1)

Ellis Gallego

Relating to the establishment of the capital writs committee and the office of capital writs.

Companions:

HB 3580 Gallego (Identical)   4- 1-09 H Committee action pending House Criminal Jurisprudence

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, CVR, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, OCA/TJC, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

05-20-09 H Passed (Vote: Y:132/N: 6)

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SB 1130 (1)

Seliger

Relating to the standards for attorneys representing indigent defendants in capital cases.

Companions:

HB 2058 Gallego (Identical)   9- 1-09 G Earliest effective date

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals

Bill History:

04-08-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for

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SB 1579

Harris

Relating to the procedure for appointment of counsel for indigent defendants.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

03-17-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Criminal Justice

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SB 1581

Harris

Relating to the appointment of counsel to represent an indigent defendant in a capital case and to the reimbursement of certain expenses incurred by appointed counsel.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

03-17-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Criminal Justice

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SB 1710 (1)

Duncan Heflin

Relating to the creation of independent assigned counsel programs.

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals

Bill History:

05-23-09 H Set on the House Calendar

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SB 2162

Ellis Gallego

Relating to the appointment of counsel for the purposes of community supervision revocation or appellate proceedings.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

05-23-09 H Set on the House Calendar

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SB 2167 (1)

Ellis

Relating to the repeal of the indigent defense representation fund.

Track Name(s):

High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals

Bill History:

03-31-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Criminal Justice

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SB 2280

Ellis

Relating to the creation of the Reentry Policy Council to review corrections policies, programs, and procedures for inmates released into the community.

Companions:

HB 4178 Christian (Identical)   4-23-09 H Committee action pending House Corrections

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, OCA/TJC, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

05-04-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for

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SB 2281

Ellis

Relating to the creation of a public defender subaccount in the fair defense account of the general revenue fund.

Track Name(s):

Indigent Defense,High Priority, Indigent Defense

Bill History:

03-31-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Finance

- End of Report -

 

 

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Committee hearings where indigent defense funding and substantive law addressed

Links to other groups' legislative information

The Legislative Budget Board also maintains a website dedicated to criminal justice issues, which may be viewed here. 

For information concerning legislation filed for the 81st Regular Session or any other past session, visit the state legislature's web site at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/.

For all other legislative inquiries, e-mail Wesley Shackelford, Special Counsel to the Task Force, or call him at (512) 936-6997.

Members of the Task Force who are in the Texas State Senate and House of Representatives

Senator Jeff Wentworth

Senator John Whitmire
Chair, Senate Criminal Justice Committee

Representative Pete Gallego, Chair, House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

Representative Todd Smith

Archive

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