|
Senate Bill 1630 |
Senate Author: Whitmire |
|
Effective: 9-1-15 |
House Sponsor: Turner, Sylvester et al. |
Senate Bill 1630 amends the Family Code and Human Resources Code to condition the authority of a juvenile court or jury to commit a child who is found to have engaged in delinquent conduct that constitutes a felony offense to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) without a determinate sentence on the court or jury making a special commitment finding that the child has behavioral health or other special needs that cannot be met with the resources available in the community. The bill postpones the date on which TJJD is abolished, unless it is continued in existence as provided by the Texas Sunset Act. The bill establishes requirements for a TJJD regionalization plan to keep children closer to home in lieu of commitment to the secure facilities operated by TJJD, including the creation of a new division of TJJD responsible for administering the plan and monitoring program quality and accountability, and provides for funding to implement the plan. The bill establishes requirements for specialized programs and possible alternative placements for children with a determinate sentence and children committed to TJJD for special commitment without a determinate sentence. The bill revises the method for determining the amount of state aid TJJD must allocate to juvenile boards and expands the duties and powers of the independent ombudsman with TJJD.