TX HB1604

Amends Article 1.24 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to explicitly require that magistrate hearings under Article 15.17 (initial appearance/arraignment hearings) be open to the public, in addition to all other court proceedings and trials

Courts that lack physical capability to provide in-person public access to Article 15.17 proceedings as of January 1, 2026, may instead provide public access via livestream or videoconference that allows the public to clearly see and hear the proceeding

Judges retain authority to place reasonable limits on in-person court access for safety purposes or to prevent overcrowding

Applies only to criminal proceedings commencing on or after January 1, 2026; proceedings that began before that date remain governed by prior law

Takes effect September 1, 2025