HB 2778

Dutton bill on personal bond for parolees

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the release on bail of certain persons charged with a violation of a condition of the person's release from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Already bonded out on the new offense? Magistrate must release you.

The bill requires a county magistrate to release a parolee on personal bond pending a revocation hearing if the parolee was arrested for breaking parole by committing a new offense and has already been released on bond for that new offense. It touches people released from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, county magistrates, and the parole division, and it keeps the existing optional bond path for parolees held only on administrative violations. On the ground, a parolee who makes bail on a new charge can no longer be held in jail on the parole warrant alone, starting with arrests on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 948 (Did not pass) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 948 (Did not pass). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 13, 2025 and referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2778 · 2025-02-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Harold V. Dutton Jr.DHouse 142

ITEM

relating to the release on bail of certain persons charged with a violation of a condition of the person's release from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

WHAT IT DOES

Already bonded out on the new offense? Magistrate must release you.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Feb 13, 2025Filed
Mar 19, 2025Read first time
Mar 19, 2025Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Harold V. Dutton Jr.

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$66K Texas Sands PAC$58K Charter Schools Now PAC$36K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 29, 2024 to Oct 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$65,748.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $33,248.00
Total: $65,748.00

mail $33,248.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

Texas Sands PAC$58,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash: $58,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101044526.

Charter Schools Now PAC$36,000.00

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $35,000.00
Total: $36,000.00

Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101044523, 101061631.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $33,248.00
Total: $65,748.00

mail $33,248.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash: $58,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100986461, 101044526.

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $35,000.00
Total: $36,000.00

Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101044523, 101061631.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 948

by Rep. Dutton, same lead author · Did not pass · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 24, 2023: Committee report sent to Calendars

Relating to the release on bail of certain persons charged with a violation of a condition of the person's release from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 13, 2025

03/19/2025 H Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence: Mar 19 2025 12:35PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Corrections--Parole, Probation & Pardons

Courts--Judges

Criminal Procedure--Bail & Pretrial Release

RECIDIVISM & REPEAT OFFENDERS

Text

The text as introduced · 386 words

89R11468 BCH-D

By: Dutton
H.B. No. 2778

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the release on bail of certain persons charged with a

violation of a condition of the person's release from the Texas

Department of Criminal Justice.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 508.254(d) and (e), Government Code,

are amended to read as follows:

(d) A magistrate of the county in which the person is held in

custody :

(1) shall release the person on personal bond pending

the hearing if:

(A) the person is arrested or held in custody on a

charge that the person violated a condition of release by

committing a new offense; and

(B) the person has been released on bond for that

offense; and

(2) may release the person on bond pending the hearing

if:

(A) [ (1) ] the person is arrested or held in

custody only on a charge that the person committed an

administrative violation of release;

(B) [ (2) ] the division, in accordance with

Subsection (e), included notice on the warrant for the person's

arrest that the person is eligible for release on bond; and

(C) [ (3) ] the magistrate determines that the

person is not a threat to public safety.

(e) The division shall include a notice on the warrant for

the person's arrest indicating that the person is eligible for

release on bond under Subsection (d)(2) [ (d) ] if the division

determines that the person:

(1) has not been previously convicted of:

(A) an offense under Chapter 29, Penal Code;

(B) an offense under Title 5, Penal Code,

punishable as a felony; or

(C) an offense involving family violence, as

defined by Section 71.004, Family Code;

(2) is not on intensive supervision or super-intensive

supervision;

(3) is not an absconder; and

(4) is not a threat to public safety.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a person who is arrested on or after the effective date of this

Act. A person arrested before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the person was arrested,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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