Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Committee on Criminal Justice comes to order. Clerk, call the roll. Chair Flores: Aye, here.
• A majority of law-abiding Texans want violent criminals, murderers, serial rapists, and child molesters
• Jurisprudence Committee not even 48 hours ago. ...both of which were voted out of the House Criminal
• out an officer's record; that is still discoverable under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
• , the defense for that person could still get those files for that criminal process.

Bills: SB3073, SJR87

Keywords: Texas criminal procedure, magistrate, probable cause, written findings, arrest review, criminal justice, Article 15.17, pretrial release, judicial recordkeeping, court transparency, law enforcement, defendant rights, criminal proceedings, no probable cause, magistrate findings, bail reform, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, public safety

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not designed to be mapped onto state criminal laws.
• Their very existence in this country... ...illegally makes them a criminal.
• The criminal justice system intersects with the correctional system.
• for criminal justice in the Senate that you all will probably be seeing soon here.
• I am privileged to represent indigent folks in the court in criminal settings.

Bills: HB153, HB1410, HB1461, HB1760, HB1762, HB3261, HB3773, HB153

Keywords: education, funding, student resources, technology access, equal opportunity, veterans treatment court, mental health, criminal justice, rehabilitation, eligibility criteria, veterans, treatment court, military service, legislation, private prisons, inmate confinement, criminal justice reform, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, government contracts, inmate housing

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee of Criminal Justice is now in order. Clerk, call the roll. Chair Flores? Aye.
• A majority of law-abiding Texans want violent criminals, murderers, serial rapists, and child molesters
• record, that is still discoverable under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
• , the defense for that person could still get those files. ...for that criminal process.
• So whereas the general public could not get those files, if it is in a criminal court, those files would

Bills: SB3073, SJR87

Keywords: Texas criminal procedure, magistrate, probable cause, written findings, arrest review, criminal justice, Article 15.17, pretrial release, judicial recordkeeping, court transparency, law enforcement, defendant rights, criminal proceedings, no probable cause, magistrate findings, bail reform, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, public safety, 1185

Transcript Highlights:

• That is the first question you'd ask, and to me, that is something we do need to criminalize if you obtain

Bills: HB537, HB474, HB527, HB449, HB380, HB449, HB380

Keywords: preliminary hearing, criminal procedure, Aniah's Law, pretrial detention, defendant rights, property rights, law enforcement, removal procedures, unauthorized occupancy, trespassing, liability, off-roading, parks, participant safety, risk management, DNA, genetic testing, privacy, consent, criminal penalties

Bills: SB1370

Keywords: medical examiner, forensic services, county coroner, autopsy, death investigation, forensic pathology, county government, commissioners court, medical examiners district, regional district, public health, criminal justice, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 49.25, county population threshold, interlocal agreement, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• annual report of the Nevada Judiciary appendix reported more than 10,000 driving under the influence criminal
• I'm the head of the Henderson City Attorney's Office Criminal Division, and we handle all misdemeanor
• We criminalize it. They still do it. That's, you know, people do bad things.
• Office of Finance and the Office of the Governor, and it revises provisions relating to certain criminal

Bills: SB60, SB85, SB323, SB309, SB465

Keywords: elderly, vulnerable persons, criminal penalties, theft, civil penalties, criminal justice reform, traffic stops, law enforcement, data recording, public safety, racial profiling, SB323, Nevada, Department of Corrections, offenders, inmates, incarcerated people, prison phone calls, free phone calls, family communication

Bills: HB36, HB52, HB56, HB68, HB92, HB119, HB140, HB147, HB160, HB171, HB289, HB351, HB552, HB784

Keywords: HB 36, Act 780, Acadiana Regional Juvenile Justice District, juvenile justice, juveniles, Evangeline Parish, regional district, board of commissioners, commission membership, Louisiana juvenile law, R.S. 15:1109, R.S. 15:1109.1, parish governance, district boundaries, local government, HB 52, Act 192, Louisiana criminal procedure, misdemeanor jury trial, six-person jury

Transcript Highlights:

• They know that a criminal...
• Cooperate with criminal investigations and participate in criminal prosecutions.
• However, this changed the Code of Criminal Procedures.
• The bill is designed to address the increasing criminal caseload in Bell County by establishing criminal
• Criminals do not stop after a single act.

Bills: SB251, SB608, SB487, SB535, SB761, SB955, SB957, SB958, SB988, SB990, SB1019, SB1021, SB1120

Keywords: criminal law, magistrates, Bell County, judicial authority, legal framework, evidence collection, sexual assault kits, reporting, law enforcement, transparency, confidentiality, victim protection, stalking, indecent assault, invasive visual recording, criminal justice, privacy rights, SB 535, Texas criminal procedure, rape shield

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Committee of Criminal Justice will now come, it will be reopened.
• Good Social Science and criminal justice pre-law at St. Edward's University.
• It's not common practice for ICE to take custody of a person until their criminal case is disposed of
• Uh, we generally don't get involved in too many criminal justice matters, but we are in opposition to
• He was repeatedly criminalized for his PTSD and mental health.

Bills: SB 9, SB 1047, SB 1048, SJR 17, SJR 49, SB 40, SJR 1, SJR 5

Keywords: bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, criminal procedure, public safety report, victim notification, family violence, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunction, taxpayer rights, violent crimes, sexual offenses, community safety, constitutional amendment, trafficking

Transcript Highlights:

• Like, we're changing the code of criminal procedure that has evidentiary effect or.
• The procedural requirements of Rule 412...
• However, this change in the Code of Criminal Procedure was not placed in the Texas Family Code as a result
• Procedure.
• But we would just go ahead and incorporate those in the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Bills: SB535, SB664, SB1019, SB1020, SB1120, SB1537, SB1804, HB3207

Keywords: SB 535, Texas criminal procedure, rape shield, victim sexual history, past sexual behavior, sexual assault evidence, trafficking of persons, continuous trafficking, indecency with a child, continuous sexual abuse, aggravated sexual assault, indecent assault, consent defense, in camera hearing, Rule 412, Rule 609, victim protection, evidence admissibility, criminal evidence, sexual offense prosecution

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence will come back to order. And the clerk will call the roll.
• Systems that counties use to provide legal services to indigent criminal defendants.
• I sometimes work with victims' rights to help navigate them through the criminal justice system.
• In 2013, the Texas Legislature enacted Article 11.073 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, commonly referred
• affects criminal appellate procedures in capital punishment cases.

Bills: HB115, HB 115, HB507, HB1765, HB1847, HB2046, HB2239, HB2328, HB2309, HB2417, HB2728, HB2794, HB3206, HB3566, HB3694, HB3744, HB4254, HB4697, HB4733, HB4915, HB5465, HB2813

Keywords: public funds, lobbying, political subdivision, government spending, transparency, HB 115, taxpayer-funded lobbying, local government lobbying, county association dues, municipal lobbying, lobbyist registration, Chapter 305, Government Code Section 556.0056, Local Government Code Section 89.002, county government, city government, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, state association of counties, sheriffs association

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the Code of Criminal Procedure does not currently address this issue. require the trial court
• The Code of Criminal Procedure sets out no limitations on a court's authority to grant or declare a mistrial
• I think it may be necessary to be said that criminal justice, criminal procedure, and criminal cases
• This doctrine actually started in the criminal courts on the criminal side.
• House Bill 3206 amends Article 35.23 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to modify jury sequestration practices

Bills: HB 115, HB507, HB1765, HB1847, HB2046, HB2239, HB2328, HB2309, HB2417, HB2728, HB2794, HB3206, HB3566, HB3694, HB3744, HB4254, HB4697, HB4733, HB4915, HB5465, HB2813, HB115

Keywords: habeas corpus, postconviction, criminal procedure, indigent defense, scientific evidence, legal representation, judicial power, capital felony, criminal law, death penalty, attorney qualification, training standards, law enforcement, no-knock warrant, search warrant, peace officer, attorney workload, criminal justice, caseload limits, fair representation

Bills: HB54, HB55, HB125, HB133, HB158, HB161, HB168, HB169, HB191, HB245, HB280, HB296, HB399, HB821, HB995

Keywords: parole, rehabilitation, mental health, substance abuse, criminal justice reform, alternative sentencing, juror confidentiality, public records, criminal procedure, privacy, court disclosure, sex offender, sex offense, child predator, registry, registration, notification, supervised release, probation and parole, juvenile offender

Transcript Highlights:

• The criminal legal system, the criminal justice system in Texas.
• And again, it's the criminal statute of this, the criminal portion of this, that's causing people to
• The only message being sent by a criminal statute being removed is that that conduct is not criminal.
• To make that protection enforceable, the bill amends Article 62.053A of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
• Courts already have this discretion under Article 4309 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to wait... .

Bills: HB 1194, HB 1221, HB1738, HB1913, HB2177, HB2178, HB2180, HB2229, HB2282, HB2448, HB2492, HB2777, HB2984, HB3357, HB3553, HB3602

Keywords: emergency protection order, protective order, magistrate, criminal procedure, victim safety, family violence, domestic violence, stalking, assault, magistrate's order, temporary protection, court order duration, defendant restrictions, Article 17.292, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, emergency restraining order, victim protection, firearm restriction, pretrial intervention, reimbursement fee

Transcript Highlights:

• is not criminal.
• This is on the criminal side.
• and civil procedure and... create criminal and civil procedure and stick it into the actual law instead
• It is understood just in general criminal procedure that the DA in that situation, because a dismissal
• criminal motion practice?

Bills: SB156, SB134, SB108, SB47, SB88, SB89, SB106, SB18, SB9, HB38, HB54

Keywords: habitual felony offender, resentencing, Alabama Department of Corrections, victim notification, criminal justice reform, life sentences, parole eligibility, pardon, parole, law enforcement, GPS monitoring, data sharing, mail theft, stolen mail, criminal penalties, personally identifying information, felony, misdemeanor, expungement, criminal records

Bills: SB 1065, SB 2117, SB 2217, SB 2363, SB 2533, SB 2742, SB 2743, SB 2881, SB 2964, SB 3013, SB 3014

Keywords: election procedures, voting systems, ballot counting, voter registration, electronic voting, electioneering, public funds, political advertising, civil penalties, school district, election offenses, prosecution, criminal procedure, district attorney, disqualification, voting by mail, election process, ballot correction, voter notification, electoral integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• From a legal standpoint, we've never had a definition of 'cost judgment' or 'criminal judgment.'
• Number one is a criminal or a cost judgment, and you know how that implements with the Title 28 Section
• This isn't a criminal action, and this is. AVP, we're talking about a VPO, which is a civil action.
• Yeah, and court case, you're saying a criminal case, and that makes sense.
• This impacts or modifies the criminal discovery process that we use in the state.

Bills: HB2650, HB3277, HB3386, HB3419, HB3430, HB3742, HB3791, HB3835, HB3905, HB3968, HB4119, HB4153, HB4408

Keywords: probate, estate administration, summary administration, decedent, inheritance, vehicle inspection, title registration, salvage vehicles, ownership, Oklahoma Statutes, evictions, forcible entry, mediation, residency proof, children, housing law, corruption, nonpublic information, government accountability, criminal law

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence will come to order. Clerk, call the roll. Chair Smithee.
• Senate Bill 955 enhances a criminal penalty for...
• Senate Bill 614 updates the Code of Criminal Procedure to allow the FSC to refer not only active but
• Meanwhile, in the Code of Criminal Procedure Article 39.14, in relation to discovery, a pro se defendant
• I'm a criminal defense lawyer.

Bills: SB1099, SB1896, SB1980, SB127, SB614, SB955, SB1278, SB1372, SB1936, SB1937, SB2580, SB2595, SB2798

Keywords: SB 1099, illegal alien, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense, first-degree felony, minimum sentence, Criminal Justice, Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice will come to order. Clerk, call the roll.
• I try to just update our penal and criminal statutes to keep up with the progress and the Senator Hinojosa
• A grant program will continue to exist with the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor's Office in
• And we made it just the city enabling, and then we have the Governor's Criminal Justice Grant Program
• This provision in the Code of Criminal Procedure was established when newspapers were more widely read

Bills: HB 33, HB 45, HB 48, HB 1261, HB 1465, HB 1778, HB 2596, HB 5238, SB 2969

Keywords: HB 48, oilfield theft, organized theft, petroleum products, oil and gas equipment, DPS, Department of Public Safety, Texas, Railroad Commission, criminal justice, energy resources, theft prevention, organized crime, border region, El Paso, law enforcement task force, asset recovery, pipeline theft, drilling equipment, equipment theft

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is a cleanup bill for the Code of Criminal Procedure, and it is part of the legislative
• Unlike the Government Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure does not require interpreters to be licensed
• Generally, then, Senate Bill 1537 would clean up the language of the Code of Criminal Procedure by first
• Tribes generally lack criminal jurisdiction.
• They're basing it on their policies and procedures.

Bills: SB693, SB781, SB836, SB860, SB906, SB993, SB1101, SB1321, SB1370, SB1537, SB1563, SB1610, SB1637

Keywords: notary public, notaries, acknowledgment, jurat, personal appearance, remote notarization, online notarization, e-notary, electronic notarization, fraud prevention, identity verification, real estate fraud, property transfer, state jail felony, Class A misdemeanor, secretary of state, continuing education, record retention, notarial act, Texas Government Code

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice heard a series of bills focused on criminal procedure, public safety, victim protections, and law enforcement administration. SB 1537 would require criminal-proceeding interpreters to meet the same appointment standards used in the Government Code, and SB 993 would let the Comptroller’s Criminal Investigative Division seek mobile-tracking warrants directly in motor fuel theft and related tax-fraud investigations. SB 693, as substituted, would create a criminal offense for notaries who notarize documents without the signer personally appearing, with a higher penalty when real property is involved, and would add continuing education for notaries. SB 1610 would tighten rules for civilly committed sexually violent predators at the Texas Civil Commitment Office, including penalties for new crimes and assaults on staff, sex-offender registration requirements, and removal of certain provisions from the filed version; the substitute reduced some of the harsher penalties and preserved parole/community-supervision eligibility. SB 836 would expand privacy protections for sexual assault survivors by limiting livestreaming of certain trials, allowing pseudonyms earlier in the process, and protecting forensic exam evidence and invasive recordings under protective orders. SB 1563 would require county jailers to receive training on interacting with veterans, with testimony emphasizing suicide risk, PTSD, and the need for better identification and support in jails. SB 906 would give the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo authority similar to other Texas tribes to commission peace officers under state law to enforce Texas laws on tribal land. SB 781 would standardize confidentiality rules for peace officers’ personal information and create a confidential departmental file system modeled on Chapter 143 civil-service practices, though members raised concerns about whether the bill could affect disciplinary records and existing disclosure rules. Testimony was largely supportive for the bills, especially from prosecutors, law enforcement representatives, victim advocates, and agency officials. Supporters of SB 693 described widespread deed fraud tied to improper notarizations; supporters of SB 836 stressed survivor privacy and the harms of livestreamed sexual-assault proceedings; supporters of SB 1563 said jailer training could help prevent veteran suicides and improve treatment; and supporters of SB 906 said state commissioning would improve public safety and coordination on tribal lands. SB 781 drew support from police and TCOLE witnesses who said the bill would extend confidentiality protections already used in civil-service departments, while some members questioned whether the bill duplicated existing law or could be read to shield misconduct information. Public testimony included opposition to SB 1610 from a civil-rights advocate who urged waiting for Sunset review, and opposition to SB 781 from a family member of a person killed by police, who objected to expanding confidentiality for officers. Several bills were left pending after testimony because the committee lacked a quorum or chose to hold them for later action.