Bill Text: TX HB2626 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of an advisory committee to examine and recommend a plan to increase the minimum age of juvenile jurisdiction.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-16 - Referred to Juvenile Justice & Family Issues [HB2626 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB2626-Introduced.html
| By: Rose | H.B. No. 2626 | |
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| relating to the creation of an advisory committee to examine and | ||
| recommend a plan to increase the minimum age of juvenile | ||
| jurisdiction. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "board" means the Texas | ||
| Juvenile Justice Board. | ||
| SECTION 2. JUVENILE JURISDICTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Not | ||
| later than December 1, 2015, the board shall appoint an advisory | ||
| committee to develop a plan for raising the minimum age of a child | ||
| subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years of age to 13 | ||
| years of age. | ||
| SECTION 3. APPOINTMENTS; PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) In making | ||
| appointments to the advisory committee, the board shall appoint | ||
| members the board considers appropriate and who represent the | ||
| geographic diversity of the state. The advisory committee must | ||
| include: | ||
| (1) one member from the Texas Juvenile Justice | ||
| Department; | ||
| (2) one member from the Department of State Health | ||
| Services; | ||
| (3) one member from the Health and Human Services | ||
| Commission; | ||
| (4) one member from the Texas Education Agency or who | ||
| has expertise in education; | ||
| (5) one member from the Legislative Budget Board with | ||
| relevant expertise; | ||
| (6) at least one member from the Department of Family | ||
| and Protective Services; | ||
| (7) at least three chief juvenile probation officers, | ||
| including at least one chief juvenile probation officer from an | ||
| urban county, one chief juvenile probation officer from a suburban | ||
| county, and one chief juvenile probation officer from a rural | ||
| county; | ||
| (8) at least two members from local mental health | ||
| authorities, including at least one member from an urban county and | ||
| one member from a rural county; | ||
| (9) a prosecutor with expertise in prosecuting | ||
| juvenile offenders; | ||
| (10) a defense attorney who specializes in juvenile | ||
| defense; | ||
| (11) a youth advocate; | ||
| (12) private providers of youth services, including | ||
| prevention services; | ||
| (13) an individual with expertise in adolescent | ||
| development or the impact of trauma on adolescents; | ||
| (14) an individual who was involved with the juvenile | ||
| justice system before the individual's thirteenth birthday or a | ||
| parent of an individual who was involved with the juvenile justice | ||
| system before the individual's thirteenth birthday; and | ||
| (15) any other member considered appropriate by the | ||
| board. | ||
| (b) The board shall select one member of the advisory | ||
| committee to serve as presiding officer of the advisory committee. | ||
| SECTION 4. COMPENSATION. A member of the advisory | ||
| committee serves without compensation and is not entitled to | ||
| reimbursement for travel expenses. | ||
| SECTION 5. APPLICATION OF LAWS GOVERNING ADVISORY | ||
| COMMITTEES. The advisory committee is not subject to Chapter 2110, | ||
| Government Code. | ||
| SECTION 6. DUTIES OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The advisory | ||
| committee shall: | ||
| (1) evaluate the feasibility of raising the minimum | ||
| age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years | ||
| of age to 13 years of age; | ||
| (2) identify services currently available for | ||
| juveniles between 10 and 13 years of age within the juvenile justice | ||
| system; and | ||
| (3) develop an implementation plan to raise the | ||
| minimum age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from | ||
| 10 years of age to 13 years of age, including: | ||
| (A) methods for ensuring that juveniles between | ||
| 10 and 13 years of age who currently receive services through the | ||
| juvenile justice system continue to be eligible for and receive | ||
| services outside of the juvenile justice system; and | ||
| (B) any legislative, administrative, or funding | ||
| provisions required to adopt the plan. | ||
| SECTION 7. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2016, the | ||
| advisory committee shall submit to the Texas Juvenile Justice | ||
| Board, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and appropriate | ||
| committees of the legislature a report that contains the advisory | ||
| committee's findings and the implementation plan developed under | ||
| Section 6 of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 8. EXPIRATION DATE. The advisory committee is | ||
| abolished and this Act expires December 31, 2016. | ||
| SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect | ||
| immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members | ||
| elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas | ||
| Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for | ||
| immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
