The bill would also require that police agencies keep statistics on the race and ethnicity of drivers involved in traffic stops and would also require training in cultural sensitivity. The bill would take effect Sept. 1. Lawmakers also sent Perry legislation designed to improve legal representation for indigent defendants. Under Senate Bill 7, defendants would have to be taken before a magistrate 48 hours or sooner after being arrested. If a defendant requests a lawyer, large counties must appoint one within a working day.
Rural counties get three days.
The bill, which would take effect Jan. 1, would give judges options for deciding which appointment system to use, including a public defender system. School districts that wish to start earlier could apply to the Texas Education Agency for a waiver. Proponents say delaying the start date would help children of migrant farmworkers and the state's tourism industry. Senate Bill 1596, which would establish a scholarship program for students attending Texas technical and junior colleges beginning in January. Senate Bill 577, which would bar the state from granting driver's licenses to people younger than 18 unless the applicant has held a learner's permit for at least six months.