TDCJ News

Summaries of Selected Legislation Passed by the 89th Legislature, Regular Session

July 8, 2025

HB 1024 by Rep. Matt Shaheen. Relating to the execution of a warrant issued for certain releasees who violate a condition of parole or mandatory supervision related to the electronic monitoring of the releasee. This law mandates that law enforcement prioritize the execution of warrants for individuals in the Super-Intensive Supervision Program (SISP) who violate their Electronic Monitoring conditions.

HB 1584 by Rep. Lacey Hull. Relating to the creation of a list of priority facilities by electric utilities. This law includes TDCJ confinement facilities in the list of priority facilities which are deemed critical to public safety for restoration of electricity during natural disasters or emergency situations.

HB 1828 by Rep. Angelia Orr. Relating to legislative leave for correctional officers employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. New law allows correctional officers in Texas to participate in a legislative leave pool. Correctional officers can voluntarily transfer up to eight hours per year of their earned compensatory time or annual leave into this pool, which is tied to active participation in legislative activities on behalf of certain correctional staff associations.

HB 2017 by Rep. Stan Gerdes. Relating to increasing the criminal penalty and changing the eligibility for community supervision, mandatory supervision, and parole for certain persons convicted of intoxication manslaughter. Under this law, the mandatory minimum sentence for Intoxication Manslaughter is increased to 10 years for those who are shown to be in the country illegally at the time of the offense. All calendar time must be served, without consideration of good time, before release to mandatory supervision or parole.

HB 2306 by Rep. Denise Villalobos. Relating to changing the eligibility for release on parole of certain inmates serving sentences for trafficking offenses involving child victims and disabled individuals. This law makes inmates serving sentences related to trafficking offenses involving children and disabled individuals ineligible for parole.

HB 2756 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson. Relating to training on de-escalation, crisis intervention, and behavioral health for correctional officers and certain other employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Jovian Motley Act establishes a structured training program focused on de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention, and behavioral health awareness. The training must cover the use of alternatives to physical restraints, lighting, safety techniques during cell extractions, fundamental lifesaving procedures, and necessary personnel involvement.

HB 2854 by Rep. Rafael Anchia. Relating to the required approval of certain hospital visits as a condition of release on parole or to mandatory supervision for certain releasees and to the hospital's liability for damages resulting from those visits. The Pokuaa-Flowers Act requires additional monitoring and notification by parole officers for certain parole clients who are required to submit to Electronic Monitoring. These clients must request parole officer approval to visit a general hospital for a purpose other than medical treatment. The parole officer is required to notify law enforcement of the intended visit.

HB 3464 by Rep. Terry Meza. Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for the offenses of providing or possessing with the intent to provide an alcoholic beverage, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug to a person in the custody of a correctional facility, taking an alcoholic beverage, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug into a correctional facility, and taking a controlled substance or dangerous drug on property owned, used, or controlled by a correctional facility. If the offense is committed by someone employed by the correctional facility, the bill increases the punishment from a 3rd degree felony to a 2nd degree felony. If the actor is employed by the correctional facility and the controlled substance leads to the death of an inmate, the offense is a 1st degree felony punishable by imprisonment in TDCJ for life or for a term of not more than 99 years or less than 15 years, and a fine not to exceed $250,000.

SB 663 by Sen. Joan Huffman. Relating to the approval of a community supervision and corrections department's budget and strategic plan. This law changes the responsibilities of district and county court judges, allowing them to review – but not directly approve – a CSCD’s budget and strategic plan. TDCJ-CJAD will instead be responsible for approving CSCD budgets.

SB 860 by Sen. Pete Flores. Relating to abolishing the Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight Committee. This law updates the reporting requirements of the agency, removing references to the inactive oversight committee and requiring TDCJ to submit its annual report to each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over the agency.

SB 1021 by Sen. Joan Huffman. Relating to changing the eligibility for community supervision of a person convicted of stalking and to the offense of improper contact with the person's victim. This law makes individuals found guilty of stalking ineligible for community supervision.

SB 1080 by Sen. Royce West. Relating to the revocation of an occupational license from certain license holders and the issuance of an occupational license to certain applicants with criminal convictions. New law gives inmates the ability to apply for an occupational license while incarcerated and receive a provisional license. TDLR will be authorized to issue an occupational license to an inmate who is enrolled in or has completed an educational program offered by Windham or an institution of higher education.

SB 1506 by Sen. Tan Parker. Relating to the frequency with which the Board of Pardons and Paroles reconsiders inmates for release on parole. This law mandates that the BPP reassess inmates for parole after one year from an initial denial, during a designated month that falls between the first and fifth anniversaries of the denial decision.

SB 1666 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini. Relating to the payment of restitution. This law seeks to improve coordination between counties and TDCJ on victim restitution. TDCJ will be required to post on its website the contact information for an employee that is able to respond to restitution payment inquiries.

SB 1879 by Sen. Charles Schwertner. Relating to the transfer of certain state property from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Walker County. This law authorizes TDCJ to transfer property in Huntsville to Walker County for the construction of a justice center.

SB 2405 by Sen. Tan Parker. Relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and to the functions of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments, and the Windham School District. The TDCJ Sunset bill continues the agency for another 12 years and requires strategic updates to the agency’s policies and organization. New requirements include the creation of a 10-year plan to identify capacity and facility needs, a rehabilitation and reentry programming plan, and the transfer of postsecondary education to the Windham School District.

SB 2938 by Sen. Jose Menendez. Relating to the verification of the veteran status of inmates and prisoners. This law requires counties to provide the TDCJ with each defendant’s veteran status as part of the pen packet when transferring them to the TDCJ. Sheriffs will be required to submit a weekly report identifying each prisoner whose veteran status was verified during the previous week.