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Signed Into Law
Signed May 29, 2025Effective 2025-09-01
SB1020

Regular Session

Relating to personal bond offices, to the notification provided to a judge regarding tampering with an electronic monitoring device while released on bond or community supervision, and to the availability of certain information regarding a person required to submit to an electronic monitoring program or being supervised by a community supervision and corrections department.

Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis

SB1020: Government Affairs Overview

SB1020 fundamentally shifts the legal standard for electronic monitoring (EM) supervision from a passive, periodic reporting model to an immediate notification duty. Effective September 1, 2025, all Personal Bond Offices, Community Supervision Departments (CSCD), and private EM vendors must notify the court immediately upon determining reasonable cause of a device tamper or violation. Additionally, the law strips "judicial work product" protection from EM location data, making your internal records fully discoverable in criminal proceedings.

Sen. Joan Huffman·Senate Bill·Regular Session

Critical
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies

Agencies designated by magistrates to supervise bond release • Community Supervision and Corrections Departments (CSCD) • Courts/Magistrates • Personal Bond Offices

Business Impact

Who SB1020 Affects

This legislation has regulatory implications for the following Texas businesses and organizations:

Regulatory Priority: critical

Significant regulatory changes (effective 2025-09-01). Review with your legal and compliance teams to understand implications.

💻

Technology

Affected business types:

  • Data centers
  • Technology companies
  • Software developers
  • Telecommunications providers
View all technology legislation

Estimated Cost Impact

lowMinimal cost impact anticipated.

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SB1020
Critical
Relating to personal bond offices, to the notification provided to a judge regarding tampering with an electronic monitoring device while released on ...
Critical Compliance Urgency
Requires immediate attention
Cost Impact
Low
Effective
2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
Agencies designated by magistrat...CSCDCourts/MagistratesPersonal Bond Offices
Primary Author: Sen. Joan Huffman
89th Texas Legislature
jdkey.com
01

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

  • Effective Date: September 1, 2025
  • Compliance Deadline: August 1, 2025 (Recommended). Systems and staff must be tested and operational prior to the effective date; the first violation occurring on 9/1/25 triggers the new immediate reporting requirement.
  • Agency Rulemaking: The statute does not mandate state-level rulemaking. However, individual Courts and Magistrates will likely issue local standing orders or contract addendums defining their specific expectations for "immediate" reporting.

Immediate Action Plan

  • 1. Audit Software: Immediately open development tickets to add "Tampering" specific flags to reporting templates and automate email distribution to defense counsel.
  • 2. Update Protocols: Draft written internal policies defining the timeline for "Immediate" reporting and the steps required to establish "Reasonable Cause."
  • 3. Review Insurance: Contact your carrier to confirm your Professional Liability policy covers statutory failure-to-report claims.
  • 4. Client Communication: Send a preemptive memo to your contracting judges/counties outlining how your agency will meet the new September 1 standards.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

  • Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Review all contracts with counties and courts. If your current SLA defines a reporting window of "24 hours" or "next business day," you are non-compliant. Amendments must reflect the statutory "immediate" requirement.
  • Indemnification: Expect counties to demand stricter indemnification clauses. You must ensure your liability coverage includes specific Errors & Omissions (E&O) protection for "failure to report" or "delayed reporting."

Hiring/Training

  • 24/7/365 Monitoring: "Immediate" notification applies regardless of the time or day. If you currently rely on automated batch reporting over weekends, you must transition to staffed or automated real-time escalation protocols.
  • "Reasonable Cause" Protocols: Staff must be trained to distinguish between technical glitches (GPS drift) and actual tampering. You must document the verification steps taken to establish "reasonable cause" before notifying the court.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

  • New Reporting Recipients: Personal Bond Offices must update case management software to automatically distribute monthly reports to the Accused Person’s Attorney, in addition to the State’s Attorney and the Clerk.
  • Specific Violation Codes: Monthly reports must now explicitly state if a failure to comply involved "tampering with an electronic monitoring device." Generic "non-compliance" codes are insufficient.
  • Data Discovery: Treat all EM location data and contact logs as discoverable evidence. Retain raw data in a format that can be easily exported for subpoena response, as it is no longer shielded as judicial work product.

Fees & Costs

  • Operational Overhead: While the state imposes no new fees, businesses should budget for increased labor costs associated with 24/7 monitoring and potential increases in liability insurance premiums.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

  • Definition of "Immediately": The statute does not define "immediately" in minutes or hours. This leaves vendors vulnerable to judicial discretion. Strategy: Do not wait for case law. Define "immediately" in your own operational protocols (e.g., "Within 60 minutes of alert verification") and incorporate this definition into your client contracts to establish a standard of care.
  • "Reasonable Cause" Threshold: The law requires notification upon "reasonable cause," not absolute certainty. If you wait too long to verify a tamper, you violate the "immediate" clause; if you report too quickly, you risk false positives. You must document your verification logic clearly to defend against negligence claims.

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JD Key Consulting specializes in Texas regulatory compliance strategy. Work directly with James Dickey—former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas—to understand this bill's impact on your operations and develop an actionable compliance plan.

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Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed
Jan 30, 2025
Passed Senate
Apr 24, 2025
Passed House
May 20, 2025
Signed
May 29, 2025
Effective
Sep 1, 2025
TopicsCorrectionsCorrections--jails & PrisonsCourtsCourts--judgesCrimesCrimes--miscellaneousCriminal ProcedureCriminal Procedure--generalCriminal Procedure--pretrial ProcedureCriminal Procedure--sentencing & PunishmentElectronic EquipmentMandatory & Community SupervisionCriminal Procedure--bail & Pretrial ReleaseElectronic Information SystemsState Agencies, Boards & CommissionsState Prosecuting AttorneyArrest Warrants
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Senate Authors

Sen. Joan HuffmanRepublican · Primary Author
Coauthors (1)

House Sponsor

Rep. AJ LouderbackRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

Related Legislation

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More from Sen. Joan Huffman

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Related by Topic

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Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB1020

Q

What does Texas SB1020 do?

SB1020 fundamentally shifts the legal standard for electronic monitoring (EM) supervision from a passive, periodic reporting model to an immediate notification duty. Effective September 1, 2025, all Personal Bond Offices, Community Supervision Departments (CSCD), and private EM vendors must notify the court immediately upon determining reasonable cause of a device tamper or violation. Additionally, the law strips "judicial work product" protection from EM location data, making your internal records fully discoverable in criminal proceedings.

Q

Who authored SB1020?

SB1020 was authored by Texas Senator Joan Huffman during the Regular Session.

Q

When was SB1020 signed into law?

SB1020 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 29, 2025.

Q

Which agencies enforce SB1020?

SB1020 is enforced by Agencies designated by magistrates to supervise bond release, Community Supervision and Corrections Departments (CSCD), Courts/Magistrates and Personal Bond Offices.

Q

How significant are the changes in SB1020?

The regulatory priority for SB1020 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.

Q

What is the cost impact of SB1020?

The cost impact of SB1020 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

Q

What topics does SB1020 address?

SB1020 addresses topics including corrections, corrections--jails & prisons, courts, courts--judges and crimes.

Q

What are the key dates for SB1020?

Key dates for SB1020: Effective date is 2025-09-01. Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.

Need Strategic Guidance on This Legislation?

JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: January 11, 2026