Bill Text: TX SB40 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds to pay bail bonds.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-12 - Scheduled for public hearing on . . . [SB40 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB40-Introduced.html
89R11665 DNC-F | ||
By: Huffman | S.B. No. 40 |
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relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds to | ||
pay bail bonds. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
by adding Section 140.014 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 140.014. RESTRICTION ON USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS BY | ||
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS TO PAY BAIL BONDS. (a) A political | ||
subdivision may not spend public funds to pay a nonprofit | ||
organization that accepts and uses donations from the public to | ||
deposit money with a court in the amount of a defendant's bail bond. | ||
(b) If a political subdivision engages in an activity | ||
prohibited by Subsection (a), a taxpayer or resident of the | ||
political subdivision is entitled to appropriate injunctive relief | ||
to prevent further activity prohibited by that subsection and | ||
further payment of public funds related to that activity. | ||
(c) A taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action under | ||
Subsection (b) is entitled to recover from the political | ||
subdivision the taxpayer's or resident's reasonable attorney's fees | ||
and costs incurred in bringing the action. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |