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HB4697 • 2025

Relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.

Relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Garcia, Linda
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
04/29/2025 H No action taken in committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.

Relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.

What This Bill Does

  • Relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Texas Legislature Online

    Scheduled for public hearing on . . .

  2. 2025-04-29 Texas Legislature Online

    No action taken in committee

  3. 2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online

    Read first time

  4. 2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online

    Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence

  5. 2025-03-12 Texas Legislature Online

    Filed

Official Summary Text

Relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
89(R) HB 4697 - Introduced version - Bill Text

89R1185 CMO-F

By: Garcia of Dallas

H.B. No. 4697

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or

videoconference in a justice or municipal court.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Article 45A.260, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

Art. 45A.260. APPEARANCE BY TELEPHONE OR VIDEOCONFERENCE.

If the justice or judge determines that requiring a defendant to

appear before the justice or judge in person for a hearing [
under

Article 45A.258 or 45A.259
] would impose an undue hardship on the

defendant, the justice or judge may allow the defendant to appear by

telephone or videoconference.

SECTION 2. Article 45A.260, Code of Criminal Procedure, as

amended by this Act, applies to a proceeding that commences before,

on, or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.