Parole & Mandatory Supervision Law: 1966 through 2009
The parole and mandatory supervision laws in Texas have a long history of revisions, amendments, and re-codifications. Currently, parole and supervision statutes are located in chapter 508 of the Government Code. Prior to 1997, though, these statutes were codified as part of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The information we provide on this page aims to elucidate this long history by providing a timeline of the legislative amendments that have affected the parole and mandatory supervision statutes. We have compiled PDF documents that show how these statutes read as of any specific date between 1966 and 2009. For reference, we also present each of the individual session laws that have amended the parole and mandatory supervision statutes throughout the years.
Please contact us at (512) 463-1722 or at library@sll.texas.gov if you have any questions.
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Select a date range below to view the parole and mandatory supervision statutes as of a specific date. All necessary amendments and retractions have been made for each date range. Selecting a date range will provide you with the complete Code of Criminal Procedure article or Government Code section in effect at that time.
Jan 1, 1966 - Aug 31, 1985
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 42.12
| Dates Effective | Amendments to Prior Version |
|---|---|
| 01/01/1966 - 08/27/1967 | Acts 1965, 59th. Leg., ch.722 §1 establishes and adopts the Code of Criminal Procedure by revising, rearranging, changing, and making omissions from and additions to preexisting statutes of the state pertaining to criminal case trials. Article 42.12 of this newly established code is titled "Adult Probation and Parole Law". |
| 08/28/1967 - 06/13/1973 | Acts 1967, 60th Leg., ch.659 §29 amends sections 6a, 10, 12, 15-16, 18, 27, and 30 of Article 42.12. No further changes are made to "Adult Probation and Parole Law" until 1973. |
| 06/14/1973 - 08/26/1973 | The amendments of Acts 1973, 63rd Leg. effective on June 14, 1973 amend sections 3, 8, and 22 of Article 42.12. |
| 08/27/1973 - 06/18/1975 | Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., ch. 241 makes changes to the minimum age for employment as a parole officer or supervisor effective August 27, 1973. |
| 06/19/1975 - 08/31/1975 | Acts 1975, 64th Leg., ch.341 §4 adds section 6b to Article 42.12 while Acts 1975, 64th Leg., ch.467 amends section 8. Both take effect on June 19, 1975. |
| 09/01/1975 - 04/04/1977 | Numerous chapters of Acts 1975, 64th Leg. make changes to Article 42.12. Some of the notable topics include the assessment of the period of probation by the jury, probation on a plea of guilty or a plea of nolo contendere and deferred adjudication of guilt, and the appointment of parole commissioners. |
| 04/05/1977 - 08/28/1977 | Acts 1977, 65th Leg., ch.47 amends section 4 of Article 42.12 regarding the inspection of probation reports and becomes effective April 5, 1977. |
| 08/29/1977 - 08/31/1978 | An extensive number of changes are made to Article 42.12 with Acts 1977, 65th Leg., chapters 22, 306, 342, 347, 388, and 735. All go into effect on August 29, 1977. |
| 09/01/1978 - 08/26/1979 | Acts 1977, 65th Leg., ch. 343, taking effect on Sep. 1, 1978 is captioned, "Creating the Texas Adult Probation Commission and giving it certain powers and duties; providing a termination date for the commission unless continued by law; providing for the establishment of probation offices in each judicial district of the state and for community-based correctional programs; providing for funding; authorizing benefits for personnel of probation departments; amending the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1965." |
| 08/27/1979 - 06/11/1981 | Acts 1979, 66th Leg., chapters 139 and 605 make changes regarding the time period during which the state may amend its motion to revoke probation and the establishment, employment, and funding of probation offices. |
| 06/12/1981 - 08/31/1981 | Acts 1981, 67th Leg., ch.538 is effective on June 12, 1981. It makes the inability to pay conditional fees as defined by the probation agreement an affirmitive defense for a revocation hearing. |
| 09/01/1981 - 04/25/1983 | An extensive number of changes are made to Article 42.12 with Acts 1981, 67th Leg., chapters 69, 141, 276, 268, 291, 544, 638, and 639. All go into effect on September 1, 1981. |
| 04/26/1983 - 06/18/1983 | Acts 1983, 68th Leg., ch.40 is captioned, "Relating to the effect of confinement in another penal institution on certain defendant's eligibility for parole and to certain duties of the Texas Department of Corrections and of the court and to certain powers and duties of the Board of Pardons and Paroles." Changes are effective April 26, 1983. |
| 06/19/1983 - 08/28/1983 | Sections 10, 15, and 32 of Article 42.12 are amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., chapters 548 and 747 effective June 19, 1983. |
| 08/29/1983 - 08/31/1983 | An extensive number of changes are made to Article 42.12 with Acts 1983, 68th Leg., chapters 232, 237, 343, 372, 425, 762, 811, 863, and 897. All go into effect on August 29, 1983. The language of Article 42.12 as amended by these chapters is only effective for 3 days until further amendments take effect on September 1, 1983. |
| 09/01/1983 - 12/31/1983 | Acts 1983, 68th Leg., ch.977, dealing with criminal sexual offenses, makes changes to Article 42.12 through §§9-10. This becomes effective September 1, 1983. |
| 01/01/1984 - 08/31/1985 | Acts 1983, 68th Leg., ch.303 makes changes to motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated laws with §§8-13 amending Article 42.12 effective January 1, 1984. |
Sept 1, 1985 - Aug 31, 1997
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 42.18
| Dates Effective | Amendments to Prior Version |
|---|---|
| 09/01/1985 - 02/19/1987 | Acts 1985, 69th R.S., ch.427 removes Parole and Mandatory Supervision law from Article 42.12 and reorganizes it under TCCP Article 42.18. Article 42.12 is still in effect, but only covers aspects of Probation. |
| 02/20/1987 - 04/13/1987 | Changes are made to apsects of release conditions and supervision programming by Acts 1987, 70th R.S., ch.1., §§2 and 3. |
| 04/14/1987 - 04/28/1987 | Section 35 is added to Article 42.18, authorizing the Board of Pardons and Paroles to enter into interagency contracts for the placement of offenders in secure correctional facilities as authorized by Article 6166g-2, Revised Statutes. |
| 04/29/1987 - 06/19/1987 | Changes are made to Board of Pardons and Paroles procedures for the placement of parolees in halfway houses. The approval of the governor is no longer required for during the review stage. |
| 06/20/1987 - 08/30/1987 | Acts 1987, ch.926 §1 amends section 8(k), requiring the board to notify local county sheriffs and district attorneys of a parolees transfer to a halfway house in their county. |
| 08/31/1987 | Changes are made to Section 8 or Article 42.18 regarding victim and county official notification of offender parole hearings and venue changes. |
| 09/01/1987 - 06/14/1989 | Acts 1986, 69th Leg., 3rd C.S., ch.8 §1 comes into effect, denying mandatory supervision for those convicted of 3(g) offenses. In addition, a host of other sections of Article 42.18 are amended or repealed by laws passed during the 70th Legislative Session. |
| 06/15/1989 - 08/31/1989 | Clarification is made in Article 42.18 regarding the renaming of the Texas Department of Corrections to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice by §5.01 of Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch.785. |
| 09/01/1989 - 12/31/1989 | A number of changes take place on 09/01/1989 including new requirements for attainment of educational skills as a condition of probation, parole, or mandatory supervision. |
| 01/01/1990 - 06/17/1990 | SB29, entitled "Relating to a requirement that persons placed on probation and persons released on parole or mandatory supervision submit to testing for controlled substances," becomes effective. |
| 06/18/1990 - 08/28/1991 | Language is removed from Article 42.18 that made the Board of Pardons and Paroles a division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with the intent of designating it as the exclusive authority to determine paroles. |
| 08/29/1991 - 08/31/1991 | Subsection (c) is added to Section 6 of Article 42.18 by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd C.S., ch.10 §11.15. |
| 09/01/1991 - 11/11/1991 | Changes are made to capital felony life sentence parole elgibility and the newly created sex offender registration program is integrated into parole conditions for offenders released from sex offense sentences. |
| 11/12/1991 - 11/30/1991 | Minor changes are made to the wording of the Board of Pardons and Paroles Sunset Provision section. |
| 12/01/1991 - 03/18/1993 | Aspects of special needs parole and vocational training requirements are amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd0 C.S., ch.10. |
| 03/19/1993 - 06/05/1993 | Parole conditions regarding victim contact are amended to allow for the newly created offense of felony harassment. |
| 06/06/1993 - 08/29/1993 | Subsection (g) is added to Section 7 of article 42.18, allowing for the parole of an inmate convicted of a capital felony only on a two-thirds vote of the entire membership of the parole board. |
| 08/30/1993 - 08/31/1993 | The pardons and paroles division is allowed to enter in to public and private contracts for managerial services regarding the collection of newly required administrative fees from parolees. |
| 09/01/1993 - 05/29/1995 | Numerous amendments are made to Article 42.18 regarding controlled substance offenses and the newly created state jail division of TDCJ. |
| 05/30/1995 - 06/13/1995 | Amendments are made to Article 42.18 regarding parole and mandatory supervision eligibility for 3(g) offenses. |
| 06/14/1995 - 08/31/1995 | Parole conditions regarding the newly created offense of stalking are added to Article 42.18. |
| 09/01/1995 - 12/31/1995 | Numerous changes are made to Article 42.18. Most notably, amendments are passed affecting aspects of parole eligibility for dangerous inmates, child sexual assault offenders, and public information regarding sex offender paroles. |
| 01/01/1996 - 08/31/1996 | Those legally representing inmates must now register with the Board of Pardons and Paroles rather than the Texas Ethics Commission based on Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch.996 §§10-11. |
| 09/01/1996 - 08/31/1997 | Section 8(c-1) is added, stating "A prisoner may not be released on mandatory supervision if a parole panel determines that the prisoner's accrued good conduct time is not an accurate reflection of the prisoner's potential for rehabilitation and that the prisoner's release would endanger the public." |
Sept 1, 1997 - Current
Texas Government Code Chapter 508
| Dates Effective | Amendments to Prior Version |
|---|---|
| 09/01/1997 - 08/29/1999 | Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art.42.18 is repealed. Parole and Mandatory Supervision law is now recodified under Texas Government Code, chapter 508. |
| 08/30/1999 - 08/31/1999 | Changes are made to allow for public disclosure of specific information regarding inmates confined to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice institution. |
| 09/01/1999 - 06/13/2001 | Numerous amendments are made to Government Code chapter 508 including the establishment of child safety zones for certain offenders on parole along with the introduction of a gang member supervision training program for parole officers. |
| 06/14/2001 - 08/31/2001 | A defendent convicted of using a child in the commission of drug offenses is made inelligible for mandatory supervision. |
| 09/01/2001 - 04/09/2003 | Numerous changes are made to Government Code chapter 508. Most deal with parole and mandatory supervision concern inmates convicted of sex offenses as well as parole revocation and modification regulations. |
| 04/10/2003 - 06/17/2003 | TDCJ is now allowed to provide confidential and privileged information on inmates to the Governor, Parole Board, Criminal Justice Policy Board, and others, "on request or in the normal course of official business." |
| 06/18/2003 - 08/31/2003 | The policy board is required to adopt a policy to establish a reconsideration date for inmates who have been previously denied parole. |
| 09/01/2003 - 01/10/2004 | Numerous changes are made to chapter 508 by the 2003 legislative session. Most notably, the Board of Pardons and Paroles Policy Board is now made up of 7 designated members rather than 6. |
| 01/11/2004 - 08/31/2005 | Structural changes are made to the Board of Pardons and Paroles by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., 3rd C.S., ch.3, §§11.02-11.24. |
| 09/01/2005 - 06/07/2007 | An individual adjudged guilty of a capital felony in a case in which the state seeks the death penalty shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for life without parole. |
| 06/08/2007 - 06/14/2007 | Minor changes are made to chapter 508 regarding parole of inmates tranfered from the Texas Youth Commission. |
| 06/15/2007 - 08/31/2007 | Parole officer maximum caseloads are established with Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., ch.1421. |
| 09/01/2007 - 06/18/2009 | Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., ch.593 is titled "Relating to the prosecution, punishment, and supervision of certain sex offenders and to certain crimes involving sex offenders." |
| 06/19/2009 - 08/31/2009 | Conditions for payment of temporary housing costs for certain individuals who are released or are eligible for release on parole or to mandatory supervision are established. |
| 09/01/2009 - 6/16/2011 | Among other changes, prohibitions on internet use by certain sex offenders are introduced as a condition of parole and madatory supervision. |
| 6/17/2011 - 9/10/2011 | Amendments to the conditions for payment for temporary housing costs for certain individuals released on parole or to mandatory supervision. |
| 9/1/2011 - | Among other changes, restrictions on eligibility for parole and mandatory supervision are introduced for those serving sentences for trafficking of persons. |
Session Laws
The tables below list the separate amendments made between 1966 and 2011 to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure articles 42.12, 42.18, and Government Code chapter 508. Amendments are organized according to the date on which they went into effect. Each amendment's legislative session, chapter, and section number are provided. Clicking on the links will open a new tab or window with the amendment's bill information from the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library's bill information pages may provide you with the bill file, an analysis, author information, a copy of the applicable text, and/or companion bills. Not all forms of information are available for all bills; please contact the Legislative Reference Library if you need more information about the session laws listed below.