Bill Would Limit Exoneree Compensation in Texas
Texas Rep. Mitch Little filed House Bill 1083, which would limit compensation for people a court rules were wrongfully convicted.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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Texas Rep. Mitch Little, R-Denton, filed House Bill 1083 on Thursday to limit compensation for people a court rules were wrongfully convicted. The bill follows the 2025 exoneration of a Travis County man, who received over $2 million from the state after the Travis County District Attorney moved to dismiss his case.
Why it matters
House Bill 1083 would prevent others in similar situations from receiving compensation following the 2025 exoneration. The proposal raises questions about how the state balances payments to exonerated people against the interests of crime victims' families.
House Bill 1083 and related House Bill 1084 were filed ahead of the session beginning Jan. 12, 2027, with HB 1084 expanding the definition of close relative of a deceased victim. The bills remain at the filing stage, and their path through the legislature has not been determined.
The players
Mitch Little
Mitch Little is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives representing Denton, who filed the bills.
Jose Garza
Jose Garza is the Travis County District Attorney whose office moved to dismiss the case and announced the dismissal in a press release.
The details
Texas law requires compensation for people a court rules were wrongfully convicted. The Court of Criminal Appeals set aside the 1992 murder conviction tied to the death of Anita Byington, and the Texas Innocence Project helped secure that result before the Travis County DA moved to dismiss the case.
Timeline
1991: Homicide of Anita Byington occurred.
1992: Conviction tied to the Byington murder was entered.
2022: Parole was granted.
2025: The conviction was set aside and the exoneration followed.
Jan. 12, 2027: The Texas legislative session begins.
Legal Context
The bill targets Texas's statutory compensation for wrongful convictions, a payment process that a court-ordered exoneration can trigger. It arrives as lawmakers weigh how much the state should pay exonerated people when a case is dismissed after parole.
If passed, House Bill 1083 would change how much compensation Texans who are later exonerated can receive from the state. Families of crime victims would also be affected by the expanded definition of close relative in House Bill 1084.
The takeaway
Compensation policy for exonerated people is being revisited in Texas, and the outcome will depend on the legislative session that begins in January 2027. Readers following criminal justice reform can track how these bills move through committee.
What happens next
The Texas legislative session begins Jan. 12, 2027, when House Bill 1083 and House Bill 1084 could be considered.
Further reading
Explore more on Criminal Justice coverage across Texas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KXAN.
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