Bill Text: TX HB2869 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Bill 2869 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to the creation of an advisory committee to study issues related to community supervision and corrections departments.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-16 - Left pending in committee [HB2869 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB2869-Introduced.html

	84R11647 MEW-F

	By: Allen	H.B. No. 2869



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the creation of an advisory committee to study issues
	related to community supervision and corrections departments.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
	(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
	Criminal Justice.
	(2) "Division" means the community justice assistance
	division of the department.
	SECTION 2. ADVISORY COMMITTEE; DUTIES. Not later than
	December 1, 2015, the department shall appoint an advisory
	committee to:
	(1) study:
	(A) the funding mechanisms for community
	supervision and corrections departments established under Chapter
	76, Government Code;
	(B) the efficacy of current grant funding
	formulas for purposes of meeting public safety needs; and
	(C) the process by which the division makes the
	determination to allocate grant funding to community supervision
	and corrections departments;
	(2) review problems facing community supervision and
	corrections departments, specifically pertaining to the adequacy
	of funding and whether state grant funding allocations fail to
	maximize available grant funds intended to decrease community
	supervision revocations; and
	(3) provide recommendations relating to:
	(A) streamlining the division's grant
	application process;
	(B) increasing the equitable distribution of
	grant funds, with a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of
	historically underserved communities;
	(C) developing community supervision strategies
	that result in decreased community supervision revocations; and
	(D) decreasing community supervision and
	corrections department reliance on fees paid by defendants on
	community supervision to fund basic operations.
	SECTION 3. APPOINTMENTS; PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) The
	department shall determine the size and composition of the advisory
	board. The advisory board must include:
	(1) representatives of the department;
	(2) representatives of community supervision and
	corrections departments established under Chapter 76, Government
	Code, who represent small, medium, and large jurisdictions with
	experience in decreasing community supervision revocations;
	(3) a diverse range of community supervision and
	corrections department directors with knowledge of existing
	disparities in funding and grant awards;
	(4) district or county attorneys;
	(5) criminal defense attorneys;
	(6) representatives of criminal justice reform
	organizations;
	(7) judges who have demonstrated a deep understanding
	of evidence-based practices in community supervision and the effect
	of those practices on community safety and the use of taxpayer
	funds;
	(8) individuals with expertise in issues related to
	substance abuse, mental health, or post-traumatic stress disorder;
	(9) individuals who have successfully completed
	community supervision; and
	(10) any other individuals or representatives of
	organizations the department determines would be of assistance in
	addressing the problems facing community supervision and
	corrections departments.
	(b) The advisory committee shall elect one of its members as
	the presiding officer of the committee.
	SECTION 4. REPORT. (a) Not later than September 1, 2016,
	the advisory committee shall submit a report containing the
	recommendations developed under Section 2 of this Act to:
	(1) the department and the division;
	(2) the governor;
	(3) the lieutenant governor;
	(4) the speaker of the house of representatives; and
	(5) the standing committees in the senate and house of
	representatives primarily responsible for criminal justice issues.
	(b) The department shall make the report submitted under
	Subsection (a) of this section available to the public and shall
	publish the report on its Internet website.
	SECTION 5. COMPENSATION. Members of the advisory committee
	serve without compensation and are not entitled to reimbursement
	for expenses.
	SECTION 6. APPLICATION OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110,
	Government Code, does not apply to the advisory committee.
	SECTION 7. EXPIRATION DATE. The advisory committee is
	abolished and this Act expires January 1, 2017.
	SECTION 8. 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.