Bill Text: TX HB2646 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the payment of certain fines and court costs by an inmate during a term of imprisonment or following release from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-12 - Received from the House [HB2646 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2646-Engrossed.html
| 88R25591 EAS-D | ||
| By: J. Johnson of Harris | H.B. No. 2646 | |
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| relating to the payment of certain fines and court costs by an | ||
| inmate during a term of imprisonment or following release from the | ||
| Texas Department of Criminal Justice. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Article 42.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 17 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 17. In addition to the information described by | ||
| Section 1, the judgment must reflect the inmate's right under | ||
| Article 42.153 to defer payment of certain fines and court costs | ||
| owed to the state. | ||
| SECTION 2. Chapter 42, Code of Criminal Procedure, is | ||
| amended by adding Article 42.153 to read as follows: | ||
| Art. 42.153. DEFERRED PAYMENT OF CERTAIN FINES AND COURT | ||
| COSTS. (a) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by | ||
| Subsection (c), a person sentenced to imprisonment in the Texas | ||
| Department of Criminal Justice is not required to pay any fines or | ||
| court costs owed to the state: | ||
| (1) during the term of imprisonment, including while | ||
| the person is confined in a county jail awaiting transfer to the | ||
| department; or | ||
| (2) before the 181st day after the person's release: | ||
| (A) following completion of the person's | ||
| sentence; or | ||
| (B) on parole or to mandatory supervision. | ||
| (b) Not later than the 30th day following the person's | ||
| release as described by Subsection (a)(2), the person shall contact | ||
| the clerk of the court in each jurisdiction where the person owes | ||
| fines or court costs and enter into a payment plan with the clerk of | ||
| the court. | ||
| (c) This section does not apply to amounts owed for | ||
| restitution or to amounts owed for supervision fees assessed as a | ||
| condition of release. | ||
| SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a | ||
| defendant who is sentenced for an offense on or after the effective | ||
| date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense is committed | ||
| before, on, or after that date. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
