HBA-LJP C.S.H.B. 822 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 822
By: Giddings
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
2/18/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, a justice or municipal court may defer proceedings, and
a juvenile court may defer adjudication proceedings, against certain teen
defendants for 90 days on successful completion of a teen court program.
The teen court program is an alternative system of justice, which offers
young offenders an opportunity to make restitution for their offenses.  A
youth referred to a teen court appears before a jury of peers, consisting
of teenage volunteers from local secondary schools.  Teen court keeps the
offense off of the teen's record.  C.S.H.B. 822 authorizes a justice or a
municipal or juvenile court to defer proceedings or adjudication against
such youth for not more than 180 days and requires the youth to finish the
teen court program not later than the 90th day after the date of the teen
court hearing to determine punishment is held. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 822 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Family Code to
increase from 90 to not more than 180, the number of days a justice or a
municipal or juvenile court is authorized to defer proceedings or
adjudication against a defendant who is under the age of 18 or enrolled
full time in an accredited secondary school in a program leading toward a
high school diploma.  The bill requires the defendant to complete the teen
court program not later than the 90th day after the date the teen court
hearing to determine punishment is held. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute differs from the original bill by increasing the time period
that a justice, municipal, or juvenile court may defer proceedings or
adjudication for certain defendants.  The substitute also requires that a
defendant complete the teen court program in a certain time period.