Bill: HB 1546, 84(R) - 2015

Committee

House Corrections

Companion Bill

SB 589

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
Yes Neutral Neutral Positive Positive Positive

Author(s)

Alma A. Allen

Bill Caption

Relating to the award of diligent participation credit to defendants confined in a state jail felony facility.

Fiscal Notes

HB 1546 will have a positive impact of $81,345,273 through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.

Bill Analysis

HB 1546 would require that judges credit time served diligently participating in any educational, vocational, treatment, or work program towards a defendant’s sentence. This bill would stipulate that the credit may not exceed one-fifth of the defendant’s original sentence. However, the time credit is expressly written as “a privilege and not a right.”

Vote Recommendation Notes

HB 1546 is the least restrictive way to address the high cost of state spending on corrections. This bill would decrease the public cost of corrections in a very balanced way that does not allow convicts to game the system and reduce their sentences by an unreasonable amount. We support this bill for promoting individual liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government.


We also support the Senate companion bill, SB 589.

Organizations Supporting

Mental Health America of Texas
Texas AFL-CIO
Texas Public Policy Foundation

Source URL (retrieved on 03/29/2024 09:03 AM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/84r/hb1546?print_view=true