SB 539
bill letting defendants appear by phone or video in court
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
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 a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Any hearing, if showing up in person is an undue hardship.
The bill lets a justice of the peace or municipal judge allow a defendant to appear by phone or video for any hearing when showing up in person would be an undue hardship. Today that option is tied only to certain hearings listed in two specific articles, and the bill deletes that limit. Defendants in justice and municipal courts could ask to appear remotely for more kinds of hearings, including cases already underway, starting September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: QUICK READ: 150 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 150 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Dec 6, 2024 and referred to the Senate Criminal Justice committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB539 · 2024-12-06
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to a defendant's appearance by telephone or videoconference in a justice or municipal court.
WHAT IT DOES
Any hearing, if showing up in person is an undue hardship.
The bill lets a justice of the peace or municipal judge allow a defendant to appear by phone or video for any hearing when showing up in person would be an undue hardship. Today that option is tied only to certain hearings listed in two specific articles, and the bill deletes that limit. Defendants in justice and municipal courts could ask to appear remotely for more kinds of hearings, including cases already underway, starting September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Criminal Justice
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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 1, 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 Sands PAC$129,500.00
Texas Sands PAC
$129,500.00
- Cash
- $129,500.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $129,500.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Nov 27, 2024 to May 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: 100990378, 101033698, 101040111, 101052272.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texas Sands PAC
$129,500.00
- Cash
- $129,500.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $129,500.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Nov 27, 2024 to May 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: 100990378, 101033698, 101040111, 101052272.
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 Senate · Filed Dec 6, 2024
02/03/2025 S Referred to Criminal Justice
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Criminal Justice · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Courts--Administration
Courts--Judges
TELECONFERENCING
VIDEOCONFERENCING
Text
The text as introduced · 150 words
89R1185 CMO-F By: Johnson S.B. No. 539 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.