BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                             H.B. 775

                                                                                                                                          By: Dutton

                                                                                                         Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Because of technology, our environment is changing, and as a result, there is a wealth of information that can now be readily accessible through the internet.

 

The Texas Youth Commission's population trends, new commitments based on county of commitment and residential populations change from year to year and are generally posted on their website, however, they are not posted by the number, racial ethnicity or age of the offender committed per judge. Last year alone, over 44% of all new Texas Youth Commission commitments came from Harris, Bexar and Dallas County.

 

H.B.775 simply requires that for each quarter, a juvenile court judge must post a report on their county internet website, the total number of youth committed to the Texas Youth Commission by judge, including the youth's year of commitment, age, race and gender.

 

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. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 58.005(b), Family Code by providing this section does not apply                                     to information collected under Section 58.104 or under Subchapter E. 

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 58 of the Family Code by adding Section 58.351 which applies                           only to a county with a population of  600,000 or more. Additionally, Section                            58.352(a) provides that a juvenile court judge shall post a report on the Internet                                  website of the county in which the court is located.  The report must include the                                  total number of children committed by the judge to a correctional facility operated              by the Texas Youth Commission and for each child committed to a facility, a                                     general description of the offense committed by the child or the conduct of the                             child that led to their commitment to the facility including the year the child was                           committed to the facility and the age range, race, and gender of the child. This                                     information shall be posted no later than the 10th day following the first day of                          each quarter, a juvenile court judge shall update the information posted on a                            county Internet website. Finally, a record posted on a county Internet website may              not include any information that personally identifies a child.

 

SECTION 3.  Prospective provisions. The change in law made by this Act applies only to a                                  child committed to a correctional facility operated by the Texas Youth                                           Commission on or after January 1, 2008.

 

SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2007