S.B. No. 1220 amends the Government Code by adding Section 23.002, which clarifies that the subject matter jurisdiction of criminal trial courts in Texas is not contingent upon the exhaustion of civil remedies. Specifically, the new provision states that unless explicitly stated otherwise, a trial court's jurisdiction over a criminal action is not dependent on the completion of any civil or administrative remedies that may exist. This change aims to streamline the process for criminal cases by ensuring that courts can proceed without waiting for civil matters to be resolved.

The bill applies to all criminal actions initiated before, on, or after its effective date, which will be immediate if it receives a two-thirds majority vote from both houses of the legislature; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025. This legislation is designed to enhance the efficiency of the judicial process by removing barriers related to civil remedy exhaustion in criminal proceedings.

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