SRC-MAX H.B. 2826 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterH.B. 2826 By: Place (West) Criminal Justice 4-25-97 Engrossed DIGEST Currently, Texas law governing eligibility for service as a community supervision officer requires a bachelor's degree in one of several specific fields, such as corrections or counseling, or one year of either graduate study in one of those same fields, or work experience. However, the Community Justice Assistance Division (CJAD) can waive this requirement and allow an individual with a bachelor's degree in any field to be eligible for employment. At the request of local community supervision and correction departments, CJAD routinely waives the requirement that a bachelor's degree must be in a specific field. H.B. 1237 would amend the state law to simply require a bachelor's degree for employment, and eliminate the need for CJAD approval, thereby simplifying the hiring process for local departments. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1237 establishes qualifications required for appointment as a community supervision and corrections department officer. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 76.005(b), Government Code, to delete the provision requiring a person seeking eligibility for appointment as a community supervision and corrections department officer who supervises defendants placed on community supervision to have one year of graduate study in one of certain fields or one year of experience in full-time casework, counseling, or community or group work, unless the person's bachelor's degree is in criminology, corrections, counseling, law, social work, psychology, sociology, or an approved field. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.