| TO: | Honorable Jerry Madden, Chair, House Committee on Corrections |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB3654 by Riddle (Relating to the placement of certain releasees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in treatment centers, residential facilities, or halfway houses.), As Introduced |
The probable impact of the bill cannot be determined due to the unavailability of information related to the number of releasees who are placed in a continuum of care placement facility in a county other than the county in which the releasee would otherwise be required to reside.
The bill would amend the Government Code by adding that if a releasee is required to participate in a continuum of care program after participating in a treatment program and the absence of a suitable placement in a transitional center, community residential facility, or halfway house requires a parole panel of the Pardons and Paroles Division to place the releasee in a county other than the county where the releasee would otherwise be required to reside, the county where the releasee would otherwise be required to reside is liable to the department for the cost of the releasee’s placement. However, the county is liable to the department if in the 24 month period preceding the placement, the department has proposed operating or contracting for the operation of a transitional treatment center, community residential facility, or halfway house in the county for the placement of releasees and after a hearing operation of the facility does not begin. The bill further states that the attorney general may collect an amount owed by a county to the department and the department may reduce any funds otherwise allocated to the county by the department for the amount owed.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice states that the impact of the bill cannot be determined. The Attorney General’s Department estimates that the costs associated with implementing the bill are not anticipated to be significant to their office.
| Source Agencies: | 302 Office of the Attorney General, 696 Department of Criminal Justice
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, ES, GG, SDO
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