An Extraordinary Vote is when all 7 appointed Texas Parole Board members vote on an parole case for offenders incarcerated for certain serious offenses. This differs from typical parole cases for less serious offenses, which are decided by a three-person parole panel.

Additionally, these cases must have at least two-thirds, or 5 out of 7 Board members, to decide the parole outcome.

There are two types of Extraordinary Votes, one defined under Senate Bill 45 the other under House Bill 1914. The two major distinctions between these bills are the offenses to which they apply and the maximum amount of time your loved one can be set-off before re-consideration after being denied the privilege of parole.

Senate Bill 45

Anyone with one of the following sentences will be considered for an Extraordinary Vote under Senate Bill 45:

• Persons convicted of or serving a sentence for a capital felony (other than a life sentence);
• An offense under Section 20A.03 [Continuous Trafficking of Persons];
• Section 21.02 [Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young Child or Children];
• Section 21.11(a)(1) [Indecency with a Child] of the Penal Code;
• Or persons required under Texas Government Code Section 508.145(c) to serve 35 calendar years before becoming eligible for release on parole.

House Bill 1914

 Anyone with one of the following sentences will be considered for an Extraordinary Vote under House Bill 1914:

• Persons convicted of a capital offense with a life sentence, who is eligible for parole;
• Or for an offense under Section 22.021, Aggravated Sexual Assault.

Voting Options

 For an Extraordinary Vote, the Board has a limited number of voting options. The options under Senate Bill 45 and House Bill 1914 differ regarding the length of setoffs if parole is denied.

Under Senate Bill 45, individuals can be denied parole with no subsequent reviews for up to 5 years.  

Under House Bill 1914, individuals can be denied parole with no subsequent reviews for up to 10 years.

In addition, under both Bills, the Board may impose special conditions of parole. The Board has the discretion to decide when and for how long the special conditions will impact the parolee.

Being well prepared is the key to presenting a successful parole packet. Our book, How to Prepare a Texas Parole Packet, provides step-by-step instructions on creating a Texas Parole Packet. Our book is available as an ebook for instant download or as a bundle with a print and ebook version. As a certified vendor, we can ship the printed book to any prison or jail in Texas.