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SB26-037 • 2026

Modification of Bond Hearing Officer Process

The act requires that the state court administrator create a process for evaluating bond hearing officers. An evaluation must include input from the district attorney and regional public defender and

Crime
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Sen. J. Rich, Sen. D. Roberts, Rep. C. Espenoza, Rep. M. Soper, Sen. J. Bridges, Sen. S. Bright, Sen. M. Catlin, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. L. Frizell, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. N. Hinrichsen, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Sen. W. Lindstedt, Sen. K. Mullica, Sen. M. Snyder, Sen. K. Wallace, Sen. M. Weissman, Rep. J. Bacon, Rep. M. Duran, Rep. S. Lieder, Rep. J. McCluskie
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Governor Signed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how often evaluations must occur or what kind of input is needed from court staff and other interested parties.

Creating a Process for Evaluating Bond Hearing Officers

The act requires the state court administrator to create a process for evaluating bond hearing officers, including input from district attorneys and public defenders.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the state court administrator to make rules about how to evaluate bond hearing officers.
  • Evaluations must include feedback from district attorneys and regional public defenders.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Bond hearing officers
  • State court administrators
  • District attorneys and public defenders

Terms To Know

bond hearing officer
A person who decides if someone accused of a crime should be allowed to stay out of jail while waiting for their trial.
state court administrator
The person in charge of managing the state's courts and making sure they run smoothly.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how often evaluations should happen.
  • Does not detail exactly what kind of input is needed from other interested parties.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

SEN Judiciary

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment adds language to ensure that judicial districts follow specific rules when using their own judges for bond hearings on weekends and holidays.

  • Adds the words 'AND HOLIDAY' after every instance of 'WEEKEND' in certain sections of the bill.
  • Inserts new subsection (c) which sets guidelines for chief judges to use judicial officers from their district during weekend and holiday bond hearings, including restrictions on altering assigned time slots or overlapping with other proceedings.
  • Adds new subsection (d) requiring chief judges to make an annual decision whether to use bond hearing officers or judicial officers from the district.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about how evaluations of bond hearing officers will be conducted, which was part of the original bill's purpose.
L.002

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: The amendment requires the State Court Administrator to create a process for evaluating bond hearing officers, including input from district attorneys and public defenders in each judicial district where these officers work.

  • Adds new duties for the State Court Administrator to develop an evaluation process for bond hearing officers.
  • Specifies that evaluations must include feedback from district attorneys and public defenders in relevant judicial districts.
  • The amendment does not specify how often these evaluations will occur or what criteria will be used for them.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Governor

    Governor Signed

  2. 2026-03-27 Governor

    Sent to the Governor

  3. 2026-03-26 House

    Signed by the Speaker of the House

  4. 2026-03-26 Senate

    Signed by the President of the Senate

  5. 2026-03-17 House

    House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-03-16 House

    House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments

  7. 2026-03-11 House

    House Committee on Judiciary Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole

  8. 2026-02-26 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary

  9. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  10. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor

  11. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/25/2026 - No Amendments

  12. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/23/2026 - No Amendments

  13. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 02/18/2026 - No Amendments

  14. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole

  15. 2026-01-26 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Judiciary

Official Summary Text

The act requires that the state court administrator create a process for evaluating bond hearing officers. An evaluation must include input from the district attorney and regional public defender and allow the opportunity for input from court staff and other interested parties within each judicial district in which a bond hearing officer presides.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)