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The Task Force on Indigent Defense develops legislative recommendations to improve the quality of indigent defense services in the state in accordance with Section 71.061, Government Code and the Legislative Policy adopted by the Task Force.
Listed below are those bills affecting indigent defense services as determined by staff. Please note that for each bill in the list, a link exists that will direct the user to Texas Legislature Online. That site will provide the user with the text of the bill and the most current legislative status of the bill. Also, here is a link to Judicial Council Legislative Tracking.
Senate Criminal Justice Committee, Interim Charge re indigent defense
3. Review the performance of the Fair Defense Act and the Task Force on Indigent Defense. Study key outcomes of the law, including: appointment rates in felony and misdemeanor cases; state and county indigent defense expenditures; attorney caseloads; attorney compensation; access to investigators and experts; and overall quality of counsel for the indigent. Examine the Task Force on Indigent Defense’s effectiveness in monitoring and enforcing standards and design strategies to improve the delivery of services for indigent defense, including timing of the appointment of counsel, the use of the appointment wheel and the monitoring of workloads and performance of attorneys.
Link to the full listing of Senate Committee Interim Charges. (link to the hearing)
Click on image below to access materials provided by the Task Force to the Committee members:
House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, Interim Charge re indigent defense
2. Study how the state presently supports the establishment and maintenance of
public defender offices.
Link to the full listing of House Committee Interim Charges. (link to the hearing)
Click on image below to access materials provided by the Task Force to the Committee members:
INDIGENT DEFENSE RELATED BILLS
Bill Status Report
05-10-2010 - 11:37:51
 - Action in the date range  - Link to Related Information ( ) - Priority
 
Indigent Defense,High Priority |
|
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HB 199 (1)
|
Alonzo |
Relating to longevity pay for assistant public defenders. |
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Court Costs & Collections, Other Court Actors, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals |
Bill History: |
02-12-09 H Introduced and referred to committee on House State Affairs |
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HB 228
|
Pitts |
Relating to a defendant's payment of the costs of legal services provided by court-appointed counsel in a criminal case. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Court Costs & Collections, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
02-25-09 H Sent to subcommittee House Criminal Jurisprudence |
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HB 498
|
McClendon
Ellis |
Relating to the establishment of an advisory panel to assist with a study regarding the prevention of wrongful convictions. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
09-01-09 G Earliest effective date |
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HB 2058 (1)
|
Gallego
Seliger |
Relating to the standards for attorneys representing indigent defendants in capital cases. |
Companions: |
SB 1130 |
Seliger |
(Identical) |
|
4- 8-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for |
|
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals |
Bill History: |
09-01-09 G Earliest effective date |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority |
Bill History: |
05-27-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for |
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HB 3580 (1)
|
Gallego |
Relating to the establishment of the capital writs committee and the office of capital writs. |
Companions: |
SB 1091 |
Ellis |
(Identical) |
|
9- 1-09 G Earliest effective date |
|
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, CVR, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
04-01-09 H Committee action pending House Criminal Jurisprudence |
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HB 4178
|
Christian |
Relating to the creation of the Reentry Policy Council to review corrections policies, programs, and procedures for inmates released into the community. |
Companions: |
SB 2280 |
Ellis |
(Identical) |
|
5- 4-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for |
|
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, OCA/TJC, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
04-23-09 H Committee action pending House Corrections |
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HB 4382
|
Gallego |
Relating to standards of competency for attorneys appointed as counsel to indigent applicants in certain habeas corpus proceedings. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
04-09-09 H Subcommittee meeting set for 8:00 a.m., E2....House Criminal Jurisprudence |
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SB 498
|
Wentworth |
Relating to the release of a criminal defendant on partial bail and to the procedures governing a cash bond. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, JPs & Municipal Courts, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
04-23-09 S Meeting set for 1:30 P.M. or Adj., E1.012 Senate Criminal Justice |
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals |
Bill History: |
05-23-09 H Set on the House Calendar |
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SB 1091 (1)
|
Ellis
Gallego |
Relating to the establishment of the capital writs committee and the office of capital writs and to the appointment and compensation of certain counsel for indigent defendants in a capital case. |
Companions: |
HB 3580 |
Gallego |
(Identical) |
|
4- 1-09 H Committee action pending House Criminal Jurisprudence |
|
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, CVR, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, OCA/TJC, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
09-01-09 G Earliest effective date |
|
SB 1130 (1)
|
Seliger |
Relating to the standards for attorneys representing indigent defendants in capital cases. |
Companions: |
HB 2058 |
Gallego |
(Identical) |
|
9- 1-09 G Earliest effective date |
|
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Appellate Courts, Court of Criminal Appeals, Criminal Law & Procedure, Presiding Judges Weekly Report, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals |
Bill History: |
04-08-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for |
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SB 1579
|
Harris |
Relating to the procedure for appointment of counsel for indigent defendants. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
03-17-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Criminal Justice |
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SB 1581
|
Harris |
Relating to the appointment of counsel to represent an indigent defendant in a capital case and to the reimbursement of certain expenses incurred by appointed counsel. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
03-17-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Criminal Justice |
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals |
Bill History: |
05-23-09 H Set on the House Calendar |
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SB 2162
|
Ellis
Gallego |
Relating to the appointment of counsel for the purposes of community supervision revocation or appellate proceedings. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
05-23-09 H Set on the House Calendar |
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SB 2167 (1)
|
Ellis |
Relating to the repeal of the indigent defense representation fund. |
Track Name(s): |
High Priority, Indigent Defense,High Priority, Criminal Law & Procedure, Indigent Defense, TJC proposals |
Bill History: |
03-31-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Criminal Justice |
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SB 2280
|
Ellis |
Relating to the creation of the Reentry Policy Council to review corrections policies, programs, and procedures for inmates released into the community. |
Companions: |
HB 4178 |
Christian |
(Identical) |
|
4-23-09 H Committee action pending House Corrections |
|
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, OCA/TJC, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
05-04-09 S Placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for |
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SB 2281
|
Ellis |
Relating to the creation of a public defender subaccount in the fair defense account of the general revenue fund. |
Track Name(s): |
Indigent Defense,High Priority, Indigent Defense |
Bill History: |
03-31-09 S Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Finance |
- End of Report -
Committee hearings where indigent defense funding and substantive law addressed
Links to other groups' legislative information
The Legislative Budget Board also maintains a website dedicated to
criminal justice issues, which may be viewed here.
For
information concerning legislation filed for the 81st Regular Session or
any other past session, visit the state legislature's web site at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/.
For all other legislative inquiries, e-mail Wesley
Shackelford, Special Counsel to the Task Force, or call him at (512)
936-6997. |
Members of the Task Force who are in
the Texas State Senate and House of Representatives
Senator Jeff Wentworth
Senator John Whitmire
Chair, Senate
Criminal Justice Committee
Representative Pete Gallego, Chair, House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee
Representative
Roberto Alonzo
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