The Texas House of Representatives has passed a Republican-backed bail reform bill with significant support.
The bill will now move to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for final approval before becoming law. The governor has said he will sign the bill into law.
Abbott Tweeted about the bill, saying, "Bail reform PASSES in the #txlege. The Damon Allen Act will reform our broken bail system & keep dangerous criminals off our streets. Can't wait to sign it into law. Thank you @joanhuffman, @KyleKacal, @Reggie4Tx, Rep. Murr, @DanPatrick & @DadePhelan for your leadership."
Senate Bill 6 was passed on Monday by a vote of 85-40. The State Senate approved amendments to the bill during their session on Tuesday.
The bill is widely known as the Damon Allen Act. If put into law, the bill would prohibit the release on a personal bond of defendants that are charged with an offense that involves violence. It would also prohibit the release of those who are charged with a crime while released on bail.
A personal bond is a written contract that a defendant agrees to. In the contract, the defendant pledges to appear to all required court dates with no payment being due at the time of signing.
Earlier this year, the governor pledged that he would call a special session at some point in 2021 in order to pass bills relating to bail reform as well as election reform. This pledge came after House Democrats in the state left to deny an election reform bill that was up for a vote in June. This move also interfered with bail reform being passed.
"Thank you to Senator Joan Huffman, Representatives Kyle Kacal, Andrew Murr, and Reggie Smith, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dade Phelan for your leadership on the Damon Allen Act, which will reform our broken bail system in Texas and keep our communities safe. Public safety is at risk because of our current bail system that recklessly allows dangerous criminals back onto our streets, which is why I made bail reform an emergency item during the 87th Legislative Session," Abbott said in a statement.
"This important piece of legislation is named after Trooper Damon Allen, who was horrifically murdered in 2017 because a local magistrate released a violent criminal back onto our streets. His killer was out on a $15,000 bond despite having previously been convicted for a charge arising from assaulting a public servant, and having been arrested on charges of evading arrest and aggravated assault on a public servant. Senate Bill 6 will help prevent senseless murders like this in the future. I look forward to signing the Damon Allen Act into law and ensuring that our communities remain safe and secure."