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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of community-based programs |
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administered by the juvenile boards of certain counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 54, Family Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 54.0401 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.0401. COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS. (a) This section |
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applies only to a county that has a population of at least 1.3 |
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million. |
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(b) A juvenile court of a county to which this section |
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applies shall require a child who is found to have engaged in |
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delinquent conduct that violates a penal law of the grade of |
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misdemeanor and who would otherwise be committed to the Texas Youth |
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Commission under Section 54.04(d)(2) to participate in a |
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community-based program administered by the county's juvenile |
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board. |
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(c) The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission shall establish |
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guidelines for the implementation of community-based programs |
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described by this section. The juvenile board of each county to |
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which this section applies shall implement a community-based |
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program that complies with those guidelines. |
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(d) The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission shall provide |
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grants to selected juvenile boards to assist with the |
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implementation of a system of community-based programs under this |
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section. In providing grants to those juvenile boards to which this |
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section applies, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission shall give |
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priority to juvenile boards serving counties in which the |
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commitment rate to the Texas Youth Commission of juveniles found to |
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have engaged in delinquent conduct that violates a penal law of the |
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grade of misdemeanor exceeds the statewide average. |
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(e) Not later than January 1, 2009, the Texas Juvenile |
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Probation Commission shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature a report |
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describing the implementation and effectiveness of the |
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community-based programs described by this section. The report |
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must include information relating to the cost of requiring a child |
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to participate in a community-based program as compared to the cost |
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of committing a child to the Texas Youth Commission. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Not later than November 1, 2007, the Texas |
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Juvenile Probation Commission shall issue guidelines for the |
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creation of community-based programs required by Section 54.0401, |
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Family Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Not later than January 1, 2008, the juvenile board of a |
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county to which Section 54.0401, Family Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies shall implement a community-based program that complies |
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with the guidelines established by the Texas Juvenile Probation |
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Commission. |
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SECTION 3. Section 54.0401(b), Family Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies to a child that a court finds on or after the |
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effective date of this Act to have engaged in delinquent conduct, |
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without regard to whether that conduct occurred before, on, or |
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after that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |