Video & Transcript Research : 'bail reform'

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TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate of the 89th Legislature Feb 19th, 2025 at 11:00 am

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • on bail outcomes.
  • public safety when a defendant is charged with a felony and has previously been granted bail. bail for
  • do bails bail in Texas.
  • ... judges required bail for?
  • Do you consider bail payments Held in county accounts while a defendant is subject to bail conditions
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Criminal Justice (Part II) Feb 12th, 2025

Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:
  • already is significant enough for them to be driven here, and by denying undocumented individuals bail
  • But under this resolution's categorical denial of bail, that same person would instead remain in Texas
  • This creates a system in which high-risk defendants who can afford bail can buy their freedom despite
  • like we currently have, and 9 states do not have a constitutional right to bail.
  • Um, in 1987, the Supreme Court ruled that not everyone has the right to bail.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate Session Feb 19th, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • on bail outcomes.
  • money to the bail project says that they no longer do bails bail in Texas I don't know when they stopped
  • don't even they don't like a bail bondsman they don't post 10% they post the entire amount of the bail
  • ... judges required bail for?
  • Do you consider bail payers Held in county accounts while a defendant is subject to bail conditions.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Hearing is to take up and consider the governor Abbott's emergency items related to bail reform for the
  • They've already made a statement against this bail reform on their website.
  • Bail reform was sold to this country and this state.
  • It is outrageous that the Texas House has not moved bail reform bills the last two sessions.
  • reform, but SJR 1 is not bail reform.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • With that in mind, the denial of bail for undocumented immigrants goes against those principles. and
  • Why deprive undocumented people charged with felonies from receiving bail?
  • murder like we currently have. do not have a constitutional right to bail.
  • In 1987 the Supreme Court ruled that not everyone has the right to bail.
  • It allows for the denial of reasonable bail options and the imposition of exorbitant bonds.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Criminal Justice May 14th, 2025

Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:
  • Our agenda this morning contains two important remaining elements of enacting bail reform in Texas: Senate
  • Our agenda this morning contains two important remaining elements of enacting bail reform in Texas: Senate
  • making some of the jail reforms, we started gathering more data.
  • The bail package that has already been negotiated will overhaul the entire bail system.
  • The bail package that has already been negotiated will overhaul the entire bail system in a way that
Bills: SB3073, SJR87
Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met with a quorum present and took up three bills tied to bail reform and law enforcement records. Senator Huffman presented SJR 87, a proposed constitutional amendment that would require denial of bail for people accused of certain serious felony offenses if they have a prior conviction for, or are already on bond for, one of those offenses and there is probable cause to believe they committed another listed offense. Supporters said it would give judges a needed tool to detain repeat violent offenders; opponents from the ACLU of Texas and Texas Civil Rights Project argued it would mandate detention without individualized due process and weaken the presumption of innocence. The committee voted 7-1 to report SJR 87 favorably, with Senator Miles voting no. The committee then heard SB 3073, which would require magistrates who find no probable cause after an arrest to enter written findings supporting that determination. Senator Huffman said the bill was a narrow cleanup measure to improve transparency and provide guidance to law enforcement and prosecutors without limiting judicial discretion. With no invited or public testimony, the committee voted 6-1 to report SB 3073 favorably, again with Senator Miles dissenting. Finally, the committee considered SB 781, a committee substitute dealing with law enforcement file management and personnel records. Senator King explained that the bill would standardize policies already used in many Texas cities and under civil service rules, separating public and sealed personnel information while preserving access for criminal defense discovery. Senator Miles raised concerns that sealing exonerated allegations could hide patterns of misconduct and allow problematic officers to move between agencies. The committee adopted the committee substitute and voted 6-1 to report SB 781 favorably, with Senator Miles voting no. The committee then recessed subject to the chair’s call.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Two important remaining elements of enacting bail reform in Texas: Senate Bill 3073 and Senate Joint
  • This is another constitutional amendment that addresses the critical bail issue.
  • This is just another tool in the toolbox for judges, and this will be a bail denial for repeat offenders
  • As you know, back in 2019, When we started making some of the jail reforms, we began gathering more data
  • and will overhaul the entire bail system in a way that will be felt for generations to come.
Bills: SB3073, SJR87
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Local and County Government Feb 17th, 2026 at 02:00 pm

Local and County Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 1705 is a request bill from the bail bondsman.
  • I was brought the request from the bail bondsman, but we have nonprofits that go for bailing people out
  • You'll have to be subject to bail.
  • to come and bring in this kind of legislation that makes it harder to get bail?
  • But there's data that does show that the bail programs actually help as it relates to...
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Criminal Jurisprudence Mar 18th, 2025

Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • If denial, bail moves forward.
  • That was. the case that started the bail reform movement in Texas, and I would encourage you to continue
  • A bail provision, essentially the same bail provision we have now.
  • person bail?
  • I would tell you that I have set bail because they're all entitled to bail.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Judiciary Committee Apr 30th, 2025

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • This is about letting the public know what to What to expect and for us to lead the way in reforming
  • Now, in my mind, when the reform was passed a few years ago, that was a directive given in the statute
  • So, how many chances have we given pardons and paroles to reform their guidelines and provide... to reform
  • But you've asked them to either reform their guidelines or provide you information, and with hundreds
  • our system or not reform our system.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Administration of Criminal Justice May 12th, 2026

Administration of Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:
  • Evan Alvarez on behalf of Louisiana Bail Underwriters. We have a report and in the queue.
  • So that potato shed was reformed into a place for children to stay that were abused and neglected 50
  • What we need is sentencing reform. If I may just say one more thing—you're on.

    Very quickly.

  • But as long as that part of the statute is removed, I'm not in opposition to the idea of reforming.
  • I'm not in opposition to the idea of reforming. I'm just urging that what we need is more.

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee heard and advanced a series of bills, mostly on juvenile justice, gaming background checks, corrections, and criminal procedure. Early in the meeting, the committee reported favorably SB 258 on juvenile traffic violations, SB 321 on electronic bonds, SB 134 on child sexual abuse material/sexting-related offenses involving juveniles, and HB 75 on promotional play for racetracks after adopting an amendment narrowing the bill’s application. The committee also reported favorably SB 422 on unsupervised probation for certain fourth-offense OWI cases, SB 440 on the Renaissance District board membership, SB 393 on explosives regulation after correcting a bill-number mix-up, SB 339 on gaming-industry background checks, SB 325 on excluding certain persons from sports wagering, and SB 288 on criminal history background checks. Most of these measures were described as technical cleanups or modernization efforts and drew support from law enforcement, district attorneys, or industry groups, with little or no opposition. The most substantial debate centered on SB 201, which would change how Louisiana handles juvenile homicide sentencing, including first- and second-degree murder cases and review of old death sentences converted to life terms. Supporters from the Attorney General’s office said the bill would align sentencing procedures with existing Supreme Court law and give courts a more neutral framework. Opponents from the SPLC and the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights argued it would weaken the safeguard that life without parole for children should be reserved for the rarest cases, expand exposure to juvenile life-without-parole sentences, and raise constitutional concerns. After an amendment was adopted, the committee voted 7-3 to report SB 201 favorably as amended. The committee also heard SB 523 on clemency and sentencing considerations for defendants who are victims of domestic abuse, human trafficking, or sexual assault. Supporters said it would create a path to pardon or commutation and allow victimization to be considered at sentencing, while several survivor-advocacy groups opposed the bill’s pre-sentence investigation requirement, warning it could introduce biased or harmful information and that the bill did not go far enough to fix sentencing problems. After testimony from the Board of Pardons and Parole and the Sheriff’s Association, the committee reported SB 523 favorably as amended. It also reported SB 320 on DNA detection and rape-kit data reporting, SB 470 on pregnant women in custody and shackling during delivery, and SB 345 requiring annual OJJ reporting, with members noting confidentiality concerns that may need amendment later. The final bill taken up in the excerpt was SB 313, which would bar clerks and vendors from charging additional electronic filing fees in criminal and traffic cases, but the transcript cuts off before action on that measure.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Criminal Justice Feb 2nd, 2026

Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:
  • agent, bail bond agency, or the surety.
  • agent, bail bond agency, or the surety.
  • We have Sean Foster from the Florida Bail Agents Association, speaking in favor. All right.
  • I've worked with the bail agents for about 10 years, Senator Pizzo.
  • If I gave you a million dollars to a nonprofit, they could bail out a thousand people.
Summary: The committee took up several criminal justice bills, beginning with SB 760 on violations of pretrial release conditions. A strike-all amendment narrowed the bill to make willful violation of a no-contact order a first-degree misdemeanor, authorize warrantless arrest on probable cause, and require detention until first appearance in certain cases. The amendment and the bill, as amended, were both adopted and reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1536 on digital voyeurism, which would extend the expectation of privacy to backyards in the surveillance statute; it was reported favorably after brief questions and support from a Florida Smart Justice Alliance witness. Members next considered SB 1012 on inmate services. The bill would expand use of contractor-operated institutions inmate welfare trust funds for reintegration and facility upgrades, and would require reimbursement for inmate emergency and specialty medical services at Medicaid rates, with telehealth and autonomous APRNs included as options. Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida opposed the bill as written, warning that tying Medicaid participation to treatment of inmates could reduce reimbursement and discourage provider participation, while the Department of Corrections and Florida Smart Justice Alliance supported it. Senators discussed costs, aging inmates, and possible future changes, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also passed CS for SB 600 on bail bond and pretrial release laws after adopting a strike-all that aligned it with the House companion and made technical changes to solicitation, training, and bond reinstatement rules. Public testimony raised concerns about who should receive returned bond money and how clerks would process payments, but the sponsor said the bill would continue to be refined. Later, the committee reconsidered and favorably reported SB 1750 on criminal sexual conduct, which increases penalties and mandatory minimums for serious sex crimes, especially those involving children. It also reconsidered and favorably reported SB 1544 on complaints against law enforcement and correctional officers, a bill requiring complainants to provide sworn complaints to officers before interrogation unless corroborating evidence is present; police chiefs and sexual violence advocates opposed parts of the bill, while supporters argued it would protect officers from unfounded complaints. Finally, SB 1488 on booking officer duties regarding minor children of arrested persons was reported favorably, and SB 1326 on prosecution of defamation was taken up for reconsideration with a delete-all amendment that narrowed the insanity defense, limited mitigation for severe mental illness in serious cases, and extended detention periods for incompetent defendants; opposition testimony from defense, public defender, and mental health advocates warned it would worsen treatment and increase costs.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Feb 12th, 2026

Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Bills: S0760, S1012, S1536, S1582, S1792
Summary: The Criminal and Civil Justice Committee met with a quorum present and began with a notice that the committee would not present its budget that day, explaining that the budget rollout would be coordinated with House partners and Senate notice requirements, with the next opportunity expected the following week. The committee then moved to legislation, starting with CS for SB 760 by Senator McLean, the Victim Safety and Pre-Trial Release Act, which would address willful violations of court-ordered no-contact conditions for defendants on pretrial release for serious violent crimes. The bill had support from the Florida Sheriffs Association, received no debate, and was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee next considered SB 1536 by Senator Pizzo on digital voyeurism, described as expanding the reasonable expectation of privacy to include a privately fenced yard. The transcript shows the chair moved on before questions or a vote were taken on that bill. The committee then took up CS for SB 102 by Senator Yarbrough on inmate services, first adopting a leave-filed amendment that revised provisions on inmate welfare trust funds, Medicaid supplemental reimbursement participation, emergency transport reimbursement, and negotiated rates for certain community health care providers, including telehealth and secure-unit care. Justin Senior of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida testified in information, saying the amendment was a major positive move, and the amended bill was then reported favorably. At the end of the meeting, the chair noted that two agenda items were being temporarily postponed: CS for SB 1582 on statewide data sharing of secondhand dealer and pawnbroker transactions and SB 1792 on public records for pawnbroker transactions. No further business was raised, and the committee adjourned after a motion by Senator Simon.