Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 888 amends provisions of the Family Code relating to progressive sanctions programs for juvenile offenders. The bill changes references from progressive sanctions guidelines to a progressive sanctions model; eliminates the requirement that deviations from the progressive sanctions by a juvenile court or probation department be reported to the juvenile board; and adds to the purposes of the progressive sanctions model the recognition that departures of a disposition from the model are in some cases desirable. House Bill 888 removes the limitation on terms of probation at levels four and five of the sanctions model and removes the upper limitation, making it not less than six months, for level three. The bill removes the requirement that the Criminal Justice Policy Council analyze compliance with progressive sanctions and the impact of sanctions on recidivism rates.