By: Eckels H.B. No. 1023
72S40015 GWK-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to communication between community justice councils and
1-3 the Texas Board of Criminal Justice and the Texas Department of
1-4 Criminal Justice.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 3(b), Article 42.131, Code of Criminal
1-7 Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
1-8 (b) A community justice council must be established by the
1-9 district judge or judges in each jurisdiction served by a
1-10 department, unless a board or council exists in the community on
1-11 September 1, 1991, that performs duties substantially similar to
1-12 those imposed on a community justice council under this section.
1-13 The council shall provide continuing policy guidance and direction
1-14 for the development of criminal justice plans and community
1-15 corrections facilities and programs and shall consult with the
1-16 Texas Board of Criminal Justice and the Texas Department of
1-17 Criminal Justice about decisions made by the board and the
1-18 department affecting public safety in the jurisdiction served by
1-19 the department. A council should consist of the following persons
1-20 or their designees:
1-21 (1) a sheriff of a county to be served by the
1-22 department, chosen by the sheriffs of the counties to be served by
1-23 the department;
1-24 (2) a county commissioner or a county judge from a
2-1 county to be served by the department, chosen by the county
2-2 commissioners and county judges of the counties to be served by the
2-3 department;
2-4 (3) a city council member of the most populous
2-5 municipality in a county to be served by the department, chosen by
2-6 the members of the city councils of cities to be served by the
2-7 department;
2-8 (4) not more than two state legislators elected from a
2-9 county to be served by the department, chosen by the state
2-10 legislators elected from the counties to be served by the
2-11 department;
2-12 (5) the presiding judge from a judicial district to be
2-13 served by the department, chosen by the district judges from the
2-14 judicial districts to be served by the department;
2-15 (6) a judge of a statutory county court exercising
2-16 criminal jurisdiction in a county to be served by the department,
2-17 to be chosen by the judges of statutory county courts with criminal
2-18 jurisdiction in the counties to be served by the department;
2-19 (7) a county attorney with criminal jurisdiction from
2-20 a county to be served by the department, chosen by the county
2-21 attorneys with criminal jurisdiction from the counties to be served
2-22 by the department;
2-23 (8) a district attorney or criminal district attorney
2-24 from a judicial district to be served by the department, chosen by
2-25 the district attorneys or criminal district attorneys from the
2-26 judicial districts to be served by the department; and
2-27 (9) an elected member of the board of trustees of an
3-1 independent school district in a county to be served by the
3-2 department, chosen by the members of the boards of trustees of
3-3 independent school districts located in counties to be served by
3-4 the department.
3-5 SECTION 2. Chapter 492, Government Code, is amended by
3-6 adding Section 492.015 to read as follows:
3-7 Sec. 492.015. CONSULTATION WITH COMMUNITY JUSTICE COUNCILS.
3-8 The board shall consult with community justice councils established
3-9 under Section 3(b), Article 42.131, Code of Criminal Procedure,
3-10 about decisions made by the board and the department affecting
3-11 public safety in the jurisdictions served by the councils.
3-12 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-17 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-18 passage, and it is so enacted.