Bill Text: TX HB2955 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to oversight of specialty court programs.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-10 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB2955 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB2955-Comm_Sub.html

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By: Price, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 2955
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 24, 2019;
April 29, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; May 14, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 14, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to oversight of specialty court programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 121.002, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (c) and (d) and adding Subsections (f) and (g)
to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, a specialty court
program may not operate until the judge, magistrate, or
coordinator:
(1) provides to the Office of Court Administration of
the Texas Judicial System [criminal justice division of the
governor's office]:
(A) written notice of the program;
(B) any resolution or other official declaration
under which the program was established; and
(C) a copy of the applicable strategic plan that
incorporates duties related to supervision that will be required
under the program; and
(2) receives from the office [division] written
verification of the program's compliance with Subdivision (1).
(d) A specialty court program shall:
(1) comply with all programmatic best practices
recommended by the Specialty Courts Advisory Council under Section
772.0061(b)(2) and approved by the Texas Judicial Council; and
(2) report to the criminal justice division of the
governor's office and the Texas Judicial Council any information
required by the division or council regarding the performance of
the program.
(f) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial
System shall:
(1) on request provide technical assistance to the
specialty court programs;
(2) coordinate with an entity funded by the criminal
justice division of the governor's office that provides services to
specialty court programs;
(3) monitor compliance of the specialty court programs
with the programmatic best practices as required by Subsection
(d)(1); and
(4) notify the criminal justice division about each
specialty court program that is not in compliance with the
programmatic best practices as required by Subsection (d)(1).
(g) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial
System shall coordinate with and provide information to the
criminal justice division of the governor's office on request of
the division.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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