BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4708

By: Hardcastle

Corrections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, the judge of the 39th Judicial District and the county judges of Haskell County, Kent County, Stonewall County, and Throckmorton County participate as members of the 39th Judicial District Juvenile Board. The board was recently informed that there are no statutes formally granting them the authority to do so, but the current operating procedures have allowed them to, in order to reduce operating costs and time spent on duplicative procedures.

H.B. 4708 establishes the 39th Judicial District Juvenile Board, composed of the county judges of Haskell County, Kent County, Stonewall County, and Throckmorton County and the 39th Judicial District judge.

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

H.B. 4708 amends the Human Resources Code to establish the 39th Judicial District Juvenile Board composed of the county judge of Haskell County, the county judge of Kent County, the county judge of Stonewall County, the county judge of Throckmorton County, and the 39th Judicial District judge. 

H.B. 4708 requires the commissioners court of each county to pay the county judge of that county and the 39th Judicial District judge additional annual compensation of not more than $6,000 in monthly installments for the added duties imposed on the judges.

H.B. 4708 requires the commissioners court, if approved by the juvenile board, to reimburse the juvenile court judge for the judge's actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending seminars and other educational or instructional meetings related to juvenile problems. The bill requires the counties to prorate the expenses allowed for the members of the juvenile board and for the juvenile court judge. The bill requires the commissioners court of each county to jointly provide the necessary funds to pay the salaries of the juvenile probation personnel in the amount set by the juvenile board and to jointly pay the expenses of the juvenile probation officers that are certified as necessary by the juvenile board chairman from the general fund and in the amount set by the juvenile board. The bill establishes that provisions regarding general juvenile board expenses, and provisions regarding the expenses of board members and juvenile court, do not apply to the 39th Judicial District Juvenile Board.

H.B. 4708 removes provisions establishing the juvenile board of Haskell County and setting forth its composition. The bill establishes that the provisions regarding public members serving on the board and chairman election of the Haskell County Juvenile Board apply to the 39th Judicial District Juvenile Board. The bill removes provisions concerning the composition, authority, and salary of the juvenile board of Throckmorton County.

H.B. 4708 repeals Sections 152.2301(c), (d), and (e), Human Resources Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.