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.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Paul Bettencourt and 2 co-sponsors

Texas law now requires judges receive immediate notification of electronic monitoring device tampering and expands access to monitoring program information for supervision agencies.

Effective on 9/1/25

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Legislative bill overview

SB 1020 strengthens notification and accountability mechanisms for electronic monitoring violations in Texas. The bill requires judges to be promptly notified when someone tampers with an electronic monitoring device while on bond or community supervision, and expands access to information about individuals in electronic monitoring programs or under community supervision department oversight.

Why is this important

Electronic monitoring is a critical alternative to incarceration for managing pretrial release and community supervision. Timely judicial notification of tampering ensures courts can respond quickly to potential flight risks or supervision violations, while information access helps law enforcement, courts, and supervision agencies make informed decisions about public safety and supervision conditions.

Potential points of contention

Privacy concerns: Expanded availability of monitoring information could create privacy issues for individuals under supervision if access controls are too broad or data is shared inappropriately across agencies

Resource requirements: Personal bond offices and supervision departments may face operational costs and staffing demands to implement new notification protocols and information systems

Due process considerations: Rapid notification systems could potentially prejudice judicial determinations if information is incomplete or context is lacking before judges make decisions about supervision modifications