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TX HB743

Bill

Status

Introduced

11/12/2024

Primary Sponsor

Diego Bernal

Click for details

Origin

House of Representatives

89th Legislature Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Prohibits justice and municipal courts from ordering jail confinement for failure to pay fines or costs for offenses punishable by fine only, or for contempt of such judgments

  • Prohibits municipalities from enforcing fine collection through defendant confinement, limiting enforcement to execution against the defendant's property

  • Extends existing protections for children to all defendants, preventing jail time for failure to pay fines on fine-only offenses and for contempt of court orders

  • Allows defendants confined in violation of these new provisions to be discharged through habeas corpus proceedings

  • Requires county and municipal jails to release all persons currently confined for unpaid fines on fine-only offenses or related contempt by September 2, 2025

  • Increases the credit rate for time served in jail from the previous statutory rate to at least $150 per 8-24 hour period served, as specified by the judge

Legislative Description

Relating to a justice or municipal court's authority to order a defendant confined in jail for failure to pay a fine or cost or for contempt and to the authority of a municipality to enforce the collection of certain fines by imprisonment of the defendant.

Criminal Procedure

Last Action

Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence

3/5/2025

Committee Referrals

Criminal Jurisprudence3/5/2025

Full Bill Text

No bill text available