The Texas Senate has recently approved a bill aimed at keeping violent offenders off the streets, though its fate remains uncertain in the House.
The bill, Senate Joint Resolution 5 (SJR 5), seeks to amend the state constitution to grant judges the authority to deny bail to people charged with violent crimes. Introduced by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), the legislation may become an essential tool for judges and court systems when deciding whether people charged with serious offenses should be allowed to remain free before trial.
Huffman also pointed out that many violent offenders had previously been released on bond for lesser charges.
According to a February 2025 statement from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s office, since the Senate passed an initial version of this resolution in January 2021, Harris County has seen at least 162 homicide cases involving defendants who were out on one or more criminal bonds when they committed a new murder.
“Repeat offenders should not be allowed to roam freely, continuing their crime sprees and causing chaos across our state. The Texas Senate has listened to the concerns of Texans statewide whose lives have been destroyed by criminals released on low bonds or no bonds at all set by irresponsible judges or magistrates,” Patrick said.
The bill has garnered support from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, receiving a vote of 28-2.
“I’m incredibly proud of the 27 senators who stood with me—and with the countless victims of violent crime across Texas who are begging us to make our communities safer. To those who are opposing this proposal, how many more preventable tragedies must occur before you wake up and see the horrible reality that families across Texas are having to endure?” Huffman posted to X.
Despite its success in the Senate, SJR 5’s future is uncertain in the Texas House. Previous attempts to pass similar legislation have failed, and it remains to be seen whether lawmakers in the House will be willing to approve it.
“The Senate has passed bail reform legislation in every session for the past six years but, unfortunately, every single bail reform bill has died in the Texas House. The Texas Senate will continue to pass this bail reform package until the Texas House takes action,” Patrick added.
If the bill passes in the House, it must be voted on in a constitutional amendment referendum in the November elections.