SRC-CDH S.B. 1237 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1237
By: West
Criminal Justice
3-24-97
As Filed


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.  S.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, S.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.