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          A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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          AN ACT
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        relating to certain technical violations of conditions of community  | 
      
      
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        supervision. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Subchapter P, Chapter 42A, Code of Criminal  | 
      
      
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        Procedure, is amended by adding Article 42A.7555 to read as  | 
      
      
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        follows: | 
      
      
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               Art. 42A.7555.  PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN TECHNICAL  | 
      
      
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        VIOLATIONS.  (a)  This article applies to any violation of a  | 
      
      
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        condition of community supervision by a defendant on community  | 
      
      
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        supervision for an offense that is punishable as a state jail felony  | 
      
      
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        or a felony of the third degree, other than: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  a violation committed by a defendant who: | 
      
      
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                           (A)  in the five years preceding the date of the  | 
      
      
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        violation, was convicted of: | 
      
      
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                                 (i)  a felony offense listed in Article  | 
      
      
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        42A.054(a) or for which the judgment contains an affirmative  | 
      
      
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        finding under Article 42A.054(c) or (d); or | 
      
      
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                                 (ii)  a sexually violent offense as defined  | 
      
      
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        by Article 62.001; or | 
      
      
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                           (B)  has previously had the defendant's community  | 
      
      
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        supervision revoked; or | 
      
      
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                     (2)  a violation that involves: | 
      
      
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                           (A)  being arrested for, charged with, or  | 
      
      
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        convicted of an offense: | 
      
      
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                                 (i)  punishable as a felony; | 
      
      
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                                 (ii)  under Title 5, Penal Code, that is  | 
      
      
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        punishable as a misdemeanor; or | 
      
      
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                                 (iii)  involving the possession of a firearm  | 
      
      
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        or any prohibited weapon; | 
      
      
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                           (B)  contacting the victim of the offense for  | 
      
      
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        which the defendant was placed on community supervision; | 
      
      
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                           (C)  failing to register as a sex offender under  | 
      
      
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        Chapter 62 if required as a condition of community supervision; | 
      
      
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                           (D)  committing family violence, as defined by  | 
      
      
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        Section 71.004, Family Code; | 
      
      
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                           (E)  failing to report to a supervision officer as  | 
      
      
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        directed for 30 days or more if a supervision officer, peace  | 
      
      
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        officer, or other officer directed by the court attempted to  | 
      
      
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        contact the defendant in person at the defendant's last known  | 
      
      
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        residence or employment address; or | 
      
      
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                           (F)  leaving the state without permission. | 
      
      
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               (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if  | 
      
      
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        after a hearing under Article 42A.751(d) the judge determines the  | 
      
      
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        defendant violated not more than three conditions of community  | 
      
      
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        supervision to which this article applies and no other condition,  | 
      
      
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        the judge may not revoke the defendant's community supervision but  | 
      
      
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        may continue, extend, or modify the community supervision, other  | 
      
      
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        than a modification that requires the defendant to serve a term of  | 
      
      
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        confinement based on the violation. | 
      
      
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               (c)  Except as provided by Subsection (e), this article does  | 
      
      
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        not limit the authority of a judge to revoke a defendant's community  | 
      
      
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        supervision or to impose a term of confinement if the defendant  | 
      
      
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        violates four or more conditions of community supervision to which  | 
      
      
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        this article applies, except that before the defendant may be  | 
      
      
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        required to serve a term of confinement in a facility other than a  | 
      
      
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        community corrections facility as defined by Article 42A.601 or a  | 
      
      
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        substance abuse felony punishment facility operated by the Texas  | 
      
      
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        Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.009, Government  | 
      
      
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        Code, the judge must: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  exhaust all alternatives to incarceration; | 
      
      
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                     (2)  follow the continuum of care for a defendant who  | 
      
      
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        requires inpatient treatment for substance abuse, if applicable;  | 
      
      
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        and | 
      
      
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                     (3)  determine that the defendant is an imminent threat  | 
      
      
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        to the public.  | 
      
      
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               (d)  If the judge imposes confinement described by  | 
      
      
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        Subsection (c) as a condition of community supervision, the judge  | 
      
      
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        may impose any other condition the judge determines appropriate to  | 
      
      
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        be effective after the defendant completes the term of confinement.  | 
      
      
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               (e)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, if  | 
      
      
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        the judge determines that the defendant has only violated one or  | 
      
      
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        more conditions of community supervision related to failing to  | 
      
      
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        timely pay a fee or arriving late to a scheduled meeting with the  | 
      
      
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        defendant's supervision officer, the judge may not revoke the  | 
      
      
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        defendant's community supervision.  This subsection does not affect  | 
      
      
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        the defendant's obligation to pay any fees as required as a  | 
      
      
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        condition of community supervision. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  Article 42A.7555, Code of Criminal Procedure, as  | 
      
      
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        added by this Act, applies to a person on community supervision on  | 
      
      
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        or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the  | 
      
      
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        person was placed on community supervision before, on, or after the  | 
      
      
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        effective date of this Act. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |