SB 9 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the confinement or release of defendants before trial or sentencing, including regulating charitable bail organizations, and the conditions of and procedures for setting bail and reviewing bail decisions.

SB 9 requires magistrates to document in writing within 24 hours if they determine no probable cause exists for an arrest. It mandates a detailed public safety report for bail decisions, including defendants' criminal history, pending charges, previous failures to appear, and violence-related offenses. The bill also regulates charitable bail organizations and updates procedures for setting bail conditions. These changes directly affect defendants, magistrates, and charitable bail organizations by standardizing information used in pretrial release decisions.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
Jun 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Signed Jun 16, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Enrolled · 7 edits · Jun 16, 2025
MODERATE
This bill updates Texas criminal procedure laws to improve bail transparency, strengthen victim protections, and regulate charitable bail organizations. Key changes include requiring pretrial intervention program conditions to be reported within 10 business days, expanding public safety report requirements, adding restrictions on bail for repeat felony offenders, and enhancing victim notification rights.
Scope change
The bill expands applicability to include municipalities alongside counties for certain reporting requirements and adds new provisions for reviewing bail decisions by district judges in specific circumstances.
TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for reporting pretrial intervention program conditions from 'next business day' to '10th business day' after a defendant enters the program.

REQUIREMENT

Updated public safety report system requirements to include more detailed criminal history information and expanded integration capabilities for county jail and case management systems.

Expanded victim rights to include notification about bail conditions and defendant compliance with bail requirements.

Added new appeal procedures requiring courts to expedite appeals when the state challenges insufficient bail amounts for serious felony charges.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new restrictions preventing magistrates from releasing defendants on bail who have been charged with certain violent felonies while previously released on bail for another felony offense.

ENFORCEMENT

Created new provisions allowing district judges to review and modify bail decisions made by magistrates in specific circumstances, including cases involving felony charges.

DEFINITION

Clarified the definition of charitable bail organizations to exclude certain family donations and religious nonprofit corporations.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 19, 2025 · House May 19, 2025

How they voted

272
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 30
Feb 19, 2025
D Democratic10
7 Yea 2 Nay 1
70% Yea
R Republican20
20 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
64
Key actions
18
Committee
9
Amendments
10
Jun 16, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
Jun 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
May 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
May 29, 2025
Introduced
Senate concurs in House amendment(s)-reported
lower
May 29, 2025
Introduced
Senate concurs in House amendment(s)
upper
May 29, 2025
Introduced
House amendment(s) laid before the Senate
upper
May 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
House passage as amended reported
upper
May 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to 3rd reading as amended
lower
May 19, 2025
Amended
Amendment withdrawn
lower
May 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
May 19, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (121-19-4)
house
May 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
May 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
Feb 20, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Introduced
Amendment(s) offered
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Committee
Referred to Criminal Justice
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
2 primary · 67 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Joan Huffman
Joan Huffman
RRepublican
TX
17
P
Photo of John Smithee
John Smithee
RRepublican
TX
86
Co
Photo of A.J. Louderback
A.J. Louderback
RRepublican
TX
30
Co
Photo of Alan Schoolcraft
Alan Schoolcraft
RRepublican
TX
44
Co
Photo of Andy Hopper
Andy Hopper
RRepublican
TX
64
Co
Photo of Angela Paxton
Angela Paxton
RRepublican
TX
8
Co
Photo of Ben Bumgarner
Ben Bumgarner
RRepublican
TX
63
Co
Photo of Bob Hall
Bob Hall
RRepublican
TX
2
Co
Photo of Brad Buckley
Brad Buckley
RRepublican
TX
54
Co
Photo of Brandon Creighton
Brandon Creighton
RRepublican
TX
4
Co
Photo of Brent Hagenbuch
Brent Hagenbuch
RRepublican
TX
30
Co
Photo of Brent Money
Brent Money
RRepublican
TX
2