Bill Text: TX SB851 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to reducing the penalty for certain offenders for possession of a small amount of certain controlled substances; creating a dedicated account.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-04 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB851 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SB851-Introduced.html
  84R7423 JSC-D
 
  By: Ellis S.B. No. 851
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to reducing the penalty for certain offenders for
  possession of a small amount of certain controlled substances;
  creating a dedicated account.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 481.115, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to
  read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), an [An] offense
  under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor [state jail felony] if
  the amount of the controlled substance possessed is, by aggregate
  weight, including adulterants or dilutants, a usable quantity that
  is more than 0.02 grams but less than one gram.
         (b-1)  An offense under Subsection (b) is a state jail felony
  if the person has been previously convicted of an offense listed in
  Section 3g(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.
         SECTION 2.  Section 481.1151, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to
  read as follows:
         (b)  An offense under this section is:
               (1)  except as provided by Subsection (c), a Class A
  misdemeanor [state jail felony] if the number of abuse units of the
  controlled substance is fewer than 20;
               (2)  a felony of the third degree if the number of abuse
  units of the controlled substance is 20 or more but fewer than 80;
               (3)  a felony of the second degree if the number of
  abuse units of the controlled substance is 80 or more but fewer than
  4,000;
               (4)  a felony of the first degree if the number of abuse
  units of the controlled substance is 4,000 or more but fewer than
  8,000; and
               (5)  punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department
  of Criminal Justice for life or for a term of not more than 99 years
  or less than 15 years and a fine not to exceed $250,000, if the
  number of abuse units of the controlled substance is 8,000 or more.
         (c)  An offense under Subsection (b)(1) is a state jail
  felony if the person has been previously convicted of an offense
  listed in Section 3g(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal
  Procedure.
         SECTION 3.  Section 481.116, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to
  read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), an [An] offense
  under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor [state jail felony] if
  the amount of the controlled substance possessed is, by aggregate
  weight, including adulterants or dilutants, a usable quantity that
  is more than 0.02 grams but less than one gram.
         (b-1)  An offense under Subsection (b) is a state jail felony
  if the person has been previously convicted of an offense listed in
  Section 3g(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.
         SECTION 4.  Section 481.134(d), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  An offense otherwise punishable under Section
  481.112(b), 481.113(b), 481.114(b), 481.115(b-1) [481.115(b)],
  481.116(b-1) [481.116(b)], 481.1161(b)(3), 481.120(b)(3), or
  481.121(b)(3) is a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the
  trial of the offense that the offense was committed:
               (1)  in, on, or within 1,000 feet of any real property
  that is owned, rented, or leased to a school or school board, the
  premises of a public or private youth center, or a playground; or
               (2)  on a school bus.
         SECTION 5.  Section 11, Article 42.12, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended by adding Subsection (n) to read as follows:
         (n)  A judge who grants community supervision to a person
  convicted of a Class A misdemeanor under Section 481.115(b),
  481.1151(b)(1), 481.116(b), or 481.1161(b)(2), Health and Safety
  Code, may require, as a condition of community supervision, that
  the person successfully complete an educational program on
  substance abuse awareness approved by the Department of State
  Health Services.
         SECTION 6.  Section 15(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
               (1)  On conviction of a state jail felony under Section
  481.115(b-1) [481.115(b)], 481.1151(c) [481.1151(b)(1)],
  481.116(b-1) [481.116(b)], 481.1161(b)(3), 481.121(b)(3), or
  481.129(g)(1), Health and Safety Code, that is punished under
  Section 12.35(a), Penal Code, the judge shall suspend the
  imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on community
  supervision, unless the defendant has previously been convicted of
  a felony, other than a felony punished under Section 12.44(a),
  Penal Code, or unless the conviction resulted from an adjudication
  of the guilt of a defendant previously placed on deferred
  adjudication community supervision for the offense, in which event
  the judge may suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the
  defendant on community supervision or may order the sentence to be
  executed.  The provisions of this subdivision requiring the judge
  to suspend the imposition of the sentence and place the defendant on
  community supervision do not apply to a defendant who:
                     (A)  under Section 481.1151(c) [481.1151(b)(1)],
  Health and Safety Code, possessed more than five abuse units of the
  controlled substance;
                     (B)  under Section 481.1161(b)(3), Health and
  Safety Code, possessed more than one pound, by aggregate weight,
  including adulterants or dilutants, of the controlled substance; or
                     (C)  under Section 481.121(b)(3), Health and
  Safety Code, possessed more than one pound of marihuana.
         SECTION 7.  Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, is amended
  by adding Subchapter J to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER J. DISPOSITION OF SAVINGS RELATED TO PENALTIES FOR
  CERTAIN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE OFFENSES
         Sec. 481.401.  ACCOUNT. The safe neighborhoods and schools
  account is a dedicated account in the general revenue fund.
         Sec. 481.402.  FUNDING SOURCE. (a)  The comptroller shall
  determine the amount of money saved as a result of the passage of
  the Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, that
  reduces the penalties for certain persons convicted of offenses
  under Sections 481.115, 481.1151, and 481.116.
         (b)  The comptroller shall deposit the amount determined
  under Subsection (a) into the safe neighborhoods and schools
  account as follows:
               (1)  25 percent to the education subaccount in the
  account;
               (2)  10 percent to the victim compensation subaccount
  in the account; and
               (3)  65 percent to the corrections subaccount in the
  account.
         Sec. 481.403.  EDUCATION SUBACCOUNT. Money in the education
  subaccount of the safe neighborhoods and schools account may be
  appropriated only to the Texas Education Agency to provide grants
  to programs that are designed to improve outcomes for public school
  students by reducing truancy and supporting students who are at
  risk of dropping out of school or are victims of crime.
         Sec. 481.404.  VICTIM COMPENSATION SUBACCOUNT. Money in the
  victim compensation subaccount of the safe neighborhoods and
  schools account may be appropriated only to the victim services
  division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to provide
  grants for programs that assist victims of crime.
         Sec. 481.405.  CORRECTIONS SUBACCOUNT. Money in the
  corrections subaccount of the safe neighborhoods and schools
  account may be appropriated only to the community justice
  assistance division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to
  provide grants for:
               (1)  programs providing mental health treatment or
  substance abuse treatment for persons in the criminal justice
  system;
               (2)  pretrial intervention programs for persons in the
  criminal justice system; and
               (3)  programs to reduce recidivism of:
                     (A)  persons convicted of misdemeanor offenses;
  and 
                     (B)  persons with mental health or substance abuse
  issues who are in the criminal justice system.
         Sec. 481.406.  INTEREST ON ACCOUNT. Section 403.071,
  Government Code, does not apply to the safe neighborhoods and
  schools account.
         SECTION 8.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  
  An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
  purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
  effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was
  committed before that date.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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