Monitoring the Session

HB 3659

bill making the state pay counties for jailing felony defendants

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Ann JohnsonDHouse 134

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 compensation to a county for certain persons confined in a county jail pending trial.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

For defendants not released on bail before trial.

The bill requires the state to pay a county back for the cost of holding a felony defendant in the county jail when that defendant is not released on bail before trial. It touches every Texas county that jails felony defendants pending trial, and the state treasury that would cover the bill. Starting January 1, 2026, counties would bill the state for these pretrial jail costs instead of carrying them alone.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 4, 2025 and referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3659 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Ann JohnsonDHouse 134

ITEM

relating to the compensation to a county for certain persons confined in a county jail pending trial.

WHAT IT DOES

For defendants not released on bail before trial.

The bill requires the state to pay a county back for the cost of holding a felony defendant in the county jail when that defendant is not released on bail before trial. It touches every Texas county that jails felony defendants pending trial, and the state treasury that would cover the bill. Starting January 1, 2026, counties would bill the state for these pretrial jail costs instead of carrying them alone.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ann Johnson

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$73KTexans for Truth and Liberty PAC$65KAgave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$55K

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 · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 24, 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$72,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$72,500.00

Cash
$72,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$72,500.00

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 23, 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: 100987008, 101008094, 101030169, 101058089, 101072095.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$65,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$65,000.00

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$65,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 26, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101008094, 101072095.

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$54,875.00

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$54,875.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$29,875.00
Total
$54,875.00
consulting $29,875.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100987008, 101058089, 101068643, 101072095.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$72,500.00

Cash
$72,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$72,500.00

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 23, 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: 100987008, 101008094, 101030169, 101058089, 101072095.

×

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$65,000.00

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$65,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 26, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101008094, 101072095.

×

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$54,875.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$29,875.00
Total
$54,875.00
consulting $29,875.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100987008, 101058089, 101068643, 101072095.

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.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 4, 2025

03/25/2025 H Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence: Mar 25 2025 3:26PM

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--Jails & Prisons

County Government--General

Text

The text as introduced · 203 words

89R13959 MCF-D

By: Johnson
H.B. No. 3659

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the compensation to a county for certain persons

confined in a county jail pending trial.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended by adding Article 17.54 to read as follows:

Art. 17.54. COMPENSATION TO COUNTY FOR DEFENDANT NOT

RELEASED ON BAIL. If a defendant charged with an offense punishable

as a felony is not released on bail pending trial, the state shall

compensate the county for the cost of confining the defendant in the

county jail pending trial.

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

to compensation to a county for the cost of a defendant's

confinement that occurs on or after January 1, 2026, regardless of

whether the defendant is confined before, on, or after that date.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.