BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 978
85R5357 MEW-D	By: Murr; Moody (Rodr�guez)
	Criminal Justice
	5/18/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties contend that the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (commission) periodically experiences lengthy vacancies because commission board member term lengths do not reflect the time it takes to cultivate and vet qualified candidates. H.B. 978 seeks to address this issue by extending the term length for commission board members.

H.B. 978 amends current law relating to the terms of the board members of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 79.014(b), Government Code, to provide that the board members of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (board) serve staggered terms of six years, with one or two members' terms expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year. Deletes existing text providing that the board members serve staggered terms of two years, with two members' terms expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year and three members' terms expiring February 1 of each even-numbered year.

SECTION 2. Authorizes the members of the board serving on the effective date of this Act to draw lots or use another method to determine the members who are required to serve terms that expire on February 1, 2023, the members who are required to serve terms that expire on February 1, 2021, and the members who are required to serve terms that expire on February 1, 2019. Requires the members of the board appointed to succeed the members serving on the effective date of this Act to serve six-year terms.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2017.