SB 218

West Bill Lets One Big County Fund Lawyers At First Hearing

Filed

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Nov 9, 2026 · How we grade

Caption

relating to the representation of an arrested indigent person at the person's appearance before a magistrate in certain counties.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Only a county of 2.5 million next to one over 2.1 million. Optional, and first hearing only.

The bill lets a county pay for a lawyer to stand with a poor person who has just been arrested at that person's first appearance before a magistrate. It applies only to a county of 2.5 million or more people that sits next to a county of more than 2.1 million, and only if that county chooses to set aside money for it. Nothing is required: the county may do this or not, and the lawyer handles only that first hearing unless separately appointed for the rest of the case.

Labels

Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 89R SB 1083 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R and 89R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 89R and 90R. Checked against 88R and 89R only.

Receipt

The receipt

90R-SB218 · 2026-11-09

SOLD BY

Sen. Royce WestDSenate 23

ITEM

relating to the representation of an arrested indigent person at the person's appearance before a magistrate in certain counties.

WHAT IT DOES

Only a county of 2.5 million next to one over 2.1 million. Optional, and first hearing only.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 9, 2026Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Nov 9, 2026Filed

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Royce West

Donors

Skyview Development LLC$36K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20KErle Allen Nye Jr.$15,000

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 Jun 30, 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.

Skyview Development LLC$36,332.00

Skyview Development LLC

$36,332.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $36,332.00
Total: $36,332.00

Other filed descriptions $32,032.00fundraiser $4,300.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 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: 100987569, 101009506, 101058878, 101063137.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

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 · Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 10, 2025. 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: 100987569, 101063137.

Erle Allen Nye Jr.$15,000.00

Money

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

Skyview Development LLC

$36,332.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $36,332.00
Total: $36,332.00

Other filed descriptions $32,032.00fundraiser $4,300.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 1, 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: 100987569, 101009506, 101058878, 101063137.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

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 · Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 10, 2025. 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: 100987569, 101063137.

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 a super-expensive superintelligence, Nov 9, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

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

89R SB 1083

by Sen. West, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 24, 2025: Referred to Criminal Justice

Relating to the representation of an indigent person in certain criminal proceedings in certain counties.

Caption, 89R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 9, 2026

11/09/2026 S Filed

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Nov 10, 2026 at 2:40 AM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Subjects

Criminal Procedure--Defense Counsel

Criminal Procedure--Pretrial Procedure

INDIGENT LEGAL SERVICES

Text

The text as introduced · 246 words

90R4110 JCG-F

By: West
S.B. No. 218

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the representation of an arrested indigent person at

the person's appearance before a magistrate in certain counties.

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

SECTION 1. Article 26.04, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended by adding Subsection (i-1) to read as follows:

(i-1) This subsection applies only to a county with a

population of 2.5 million or more that is adjacent to a county with

a population of more than 2.1 million. Notwithstanding Subsection

(j)(2) or any other law, and if funds are appropriated by a county

for this purpose, an attorney may be appointed under this article to

represent an indigent person for the sole purpose of providing

counsel in relation to that person's appearance before a magistrate

as required by Article 14.06(a), 15.17(a), or 15.18(a). The

attorney may represent the person in subsequent proceedings of that

case, only if appointed for that purpose under the other provisions

of this article.

SECTION 2. Article 26.04(i-1), Code of Criminal Procedure,

as added 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, 2027.