Texas House bill by Rep. Anchía mandates parolee hospital visit approvals

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Rafael Anchia aims to regulate hospital visits by parolees under electronic monitoring, ensuring prior approval and communication with law enforcement to enhance oversight, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 53 Democrats and 64 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 16 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposing votes.

Rafael Anchia introduced the bill in the Texas House on Friday, Feb. 14, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Anchia graduated from Tulane Law School with a JD.

Anchia, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2005 to represent the state’s 103rd House district, replacing previous state representative Steven D. Wolens.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the required approval of certain hospital visits as a condition of release on parole or to mandatory supervision for certain releasees and to the hospital’s liability for damages resulting from those visits’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill, known as the Pokuaa-Flowers Act, mandates that parolees serving sentences for certain offenses, who are subject to electronic monitoring, cannot visit general hospitals for non-medical reasons without prior approval from their parole officer. The parolee must provide details of the intended visit, including date, time, and purpose, to gain approval. Once approved, the parole officer must notify the chief law enforcement officer of the hospital or the local law enforcement agency in case the hospital does not have peace officers. Additionally, the bill ensures that general hospitals are not liable for any damages arising from visits by these parolees. The provisions apply to individuals released on parole or mandatory supervision on or after the effective date of Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. J.M. Lozano (Republican – District 43), Rep. Toni Rose (Democrat – District 110), and Rep. Dade Phelan (Republican – District 21), along with 10 other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 30, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.