SGN H.B. 2826 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


CORRECTIONS
H.B. 2826
By: Place
4-2-97
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND 

Current law governing eligibility for service as a community supervision
officer requires a bachelor's degree in one of several specific fields,
such as corrections, criminology or counseling; or one year of either
graduate study in those same fields or one year of work experience.  The
Community Justice Assistance Division 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 Corrections
departments, the Community Justice Assistance Division routinely waives
the requirement that a bachelor's degree be in a specific field.  

PURPOSE

H.B. 2826, if enacted, would amend state law to simply require a
bachelor's degree for employment as a community supervision officer
thereby eliminating the need for CJAD waivers and simplifying the hiring
process for local departments. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.    Amends Section 76.005(b), Government Code, to remove
Subsection 2 which requires a bachelor's degree in one of several specific
fields for employment as a community supervision officer. 

SECTION 2.    Emergency clause.