Criminal Justice

HB 413 would have limited pretrial detention for defendants charged with Class B misdemeanors or more serious offenses, preventing jail stays longer than the maximum sentence they could receive if convicted. It required courts to calculate whether a defendant’s cumulative time in jail before trial exceeded the potential sentence for their offense, mandating release if it did. Exceptions included defendants undergoing competency evaluations or subject to Chapter 46B commitment orders. The bill was vetoed by the governor on June 22, 2025, and never took effect.

HB 305 would have required Texas courts to hold pretrial hearings on key issues (like evidence or procedure) within 14 days after a defendant is restored to competency. This directly affects criminal defendants who regain competency and the courts managing their cases. The bill amended the Code of Criminal Procedure to set this specific deadline, ensuring cases progress more promptly after competency restoration. However, the bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 22, 2025, so this requirement never took effect.

HB 4885 amends Texas Family Code sections to allow juvenile court records to be shared with "managed assigned counsel programs" that appoint attorneys for indigent youth in juvenile court cases. This directly affects attorneys and legal aid programs responsible for representing youth in juvenile proceedings, specifically enabling them to access records needed to determine financial need or appoint counsel. The bill adds a new disclosure exception (Family Code §58.004(b)(6)) and updates disclosure rules (§58.005(a-1)(10)) to include these programs as authorized recipients. The bill passed both chambers in May 2025 but was vetoed by the Governor on June 22, 2025, so it did not become law.

HB 449 would have made it a crime to create or share deepfake sexual media without the depicted person's consent, targeting AI-generated content that falsely shows real people in explicit situations. It defined "deep fake media" as computer-altered videos appearing authentic, and prohibited distributing such content showing a person's private body parts or sexual conduct. The bill applied only to offenses occurring after its effective date (September 1, 2025), and would have governed cases involving non-consensual deepfake content. However, the bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 22, 2025, so it never became law.

HB 1306 ensures death investigation professionals in Texas - such as justice of the peace officers, death investigators under Article 49.23, and medical examiner staff - are reimbursed for preventative medical care after exposure to contagious diseases during work. It requires counties to cover these costs when exposure occurs while conducting or assisting in an inquest (death investigation), and specifies that treatment must be preventative (not for ordinary illnesses). The bill also guarantees these professionals the right to choose their physician for such care and access preventative immunizations for work-related disease exposure. This applies directly to county-employed death investigation staff and aligns their benefits with other public safety employees under existing government code provisions.