By: West S.B. No. 1193 2001S0608/1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of the joint interim committee on 1-3 substance abuse and crime prevention to evaluate the potential 1-4 benefits of drug treatment and counseling as an alternative to 1-5 incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders. 1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-7 SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. (a) The legislature finds 1-8 that reducing the incidence of drug abuse is in the interest of the 1-9 state and that the dependency problems of nonviolent drug-dependent 1-10 criminal offenders may be more effectively addressed through 1-11 court-supervised drug treatment and counseling programs than 1-12 through incarceration. 1-13 (b) The legislature further finds that offering 1-14 court-supervised drug treatment and counseling programs to 1-15 nonviolent drug-dependent criminal offenders would increase the 1-16 availability of jail and prison cells for violent offenders and 1-17 drug dealers and that such reduction would further be in the 1-18 interest of the state. 1-19 SECTION 2. JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND 1-20 CRIME PREVENTION. (a) In this section: 1-21 (1) "Committee" means the joint interim committee on 1-22 substance abuse and crime prevention. 1-23 (2) "Offender" means a nonviolent drug-dependent 1-24 criminal offender. 1-25 (b) The joint interim committee on substance abuse and crime 2-1 prevention is created to evaluate the potential benefits of 2-2 treatment and counseling for offenders as an alternative to their 2-3 incarceration. 2-4 (c) The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of 2-5 representatives shall each appoint four members to serve on the 2-6 committee. 2-7 (d) The lieutenant governor shall appoint a member of the 2-8 committee to serve as the presiding officer. 2-9 (e) The committee shall meet at the call of the presiding 2-10 officer. 2-11 (f) The House Committees on Public Health and on Criminal 2-12 Jurisprudence and the Senate Committees on Health and Human 2-13 Services and on Jurisprudence shall provide administrative support, 2-14 including staff, to the committee. 2-15 (g) The committee has the authority necessary to perform its 2-16 duties and in connection with those duties may call and hold 2-17 hearings and request the assistance of state agencies, departments, 2-18 or offices. 2-19 (h) The committee shall: 2-20 (1) evaluate the potential benefits of establishing a 2-21 community-based and court-supervised substance abuse treatment 2-22 program as an alternative to incarceration for offenders. In its 2-23 evaluation, the committee may consider the potential for such a 2-24 program to: 2-25 (A) increase the percentage of offenders in 2-26 recovery; 3-1 (B) reduce the incidence of future crimes; 3-2 (C) increase the availability of jails and 3-3 prison cells to incarcerate violent criminals and drug dealers; and 3-4 (D) improve the overall community welfare; 3-5 (2) develop recommendations for administering the 3-6 program, including drug testing and providing incentives for 3-7 offenders to successfully complete the program; and 3-8 (3) evaluate the success of similar programs in other 3-9 states. 3-10 (i) The committee shall report its findings and 3-11 recommendations to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the 3-12 house of representatives, and the 78th Legislature not later than 3-13 November 1, 2002. 3-14 SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires and the committee 3-15 is abolished January 1, 2003. 3-16 SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September 3-17 1, 2001.