Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 2073 continues the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission until September 1, 2009. The act requires juvenile probation departments to use a standard assessment tool to evaluate and report information on children under the jurisdiction of probation departments and to report the results to the commission. It changes the composition of the commission and requires the commission to adopt and enforce rules for local probation departments relating to the collection and reporting of information on juvenile offenders, performance measures, and case management standards.

            The act requires the commission to establish and use sound performance-based contracting practices for local juvenile probation departments and private provider services and to monitor these contracts for compliance with financial and performance requirements. House Bill 2073 further requires the commission to maximize the use of Medicaid funding for health care costs of youth in the juvenile justice system by identifying areas where federal benefits could be used cost effectively, providing technical assistance to local probation departments in applying for benefits, and monitoring the extent to which counties use Medicaid benefits.

            House Bill 2073 specifies the entities other than the state that are authorized to contract for the operation of correctional facilities for out-of-state juvenile inmates and requires those entities to operate in compliance with minimum standards adopted by the commission.