HB 3078 (CLEMENCY FOR SURVIVORS) HAS PASSED

We did it! HB 3078 has just passed the Texas Legislature and heads to the Governor's desk! This bill establishes a specialized panel of experts under the Board of Pardons and Paroles to (1) advise the Board regarding grants of clemency to persons who were under duress or coerced into committing offenses that were a direct result of, or incident to, trafficking and/or intimate partner violence; and (2) permit the Governor to grant clemency based upon the recommendations of this panel.


The vast majority of juveniles in Texas prisons were victimized prior to their incarceration, and survivors are sometimes arrested and convicted of crimes that are directly tied to their victimization. This purpose of this bill is to provide relief to those survivors. Please join me in thanking Chairwoman Senfronia Thompson Joe Moody Tan Parker State Rep James White and Alma A. Allen for coauthoring HB 3078, and Judith Zaffirini for sponsoring this important bill in the Senate!


Thank you to everyone who fought for this bill from day one until (literally) the last day bills could be voted out of the Senate, including Elizabeth Ross Hadley Heather McMinn Doug Deason Stacy Hock Lindsey Linder Bill Hammond Ellen Arnold Marc Levin Lauren Johnson Gabby Fuentes, Kaycie Alexander, Cathy Marston Free Battered Texas Women Michael Barba Traci Berry Kyle Ward Lori Henning Crutchfield Lone Star Justice Alliance Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Texas Smart-On-Crime Coalition Right on Crime Goodwill Central Texas Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Texas PTA and more! All of your hard work payed off! HB 3078 is headed to the Governor's Desk!