Senate Bill 6 (Damon Allen Act)

During the Second Special Session in the 2021 Legislative Session, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 6 (known as the Damon Allen Act, after a trooper killed in the line of duty in 2017), which was then signed into law by Gov. Abbott on September 13, 2021. 

This bill significantly changes the process for setting bail by giving magistrates better information about a defendant, including their criminal history and any required bond conditions, prohibiting release of a defendant on a personal bond in certain situations, and increasing educational requirements for magistrates.

Educational Requirements

SB6 (the Damon Allen Act) requires all magistrates, as defined by Article 2.09 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, who set bail for any offense punishable as a Class B misdemeanor or higher-level offense to complete an eight-hour course on magistration and related duties.  TCJ is making the training available to all judges, however, it is up to each individual judge to determine if these requirements apply to them.

Deadlines for Completion

For all Judges serving on April 1, 2022:

For all judges who were serving on April 1, 2022, the deadline for completing the eight-hour training is December 1, 2022.

For all new Judges:

TCJ 8 Hour Course

TCJ has developed an 8 hour course called Bail and Magistration Education which satisfies the education requirements of SB6. The course can be found here.  For TCJ members-judges who complete the training, TCJ will report your completion to the Office of Court Administration.

Register for Bail Course

Contact Steve Geiser at steveg@yourhonor.com