81R4890 HLT-D

By: Deuell S.B. No. 1009

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the continuation and functions of the Commission on Jail Standards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 511.003, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 511.003. SUNSET PROVISION. The Commission on Jail Standards is subject to Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the commission is abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2021 [2009].

SECTION 2. Sections 511.004(g), (h), (i), and (j), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

(g) A person is not eligible for appointment as a public member of the commission if the person or the person's spouse:

(1) is registered, certified, or licensed by a [an occupational] regulatory agency in the field of law enforcement;

(2) is employed by or participates in the management of a business entity, county jail, or other organization regulated by the commission or receiving funds from the commission;

(3) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent interest in a business entity or other organization regulated by the commission or receiving funds from the commission; or

(4) uses or receives a substantial amount of tangible goods, services, or funds from the commission, other than compensation or reimbursement authorized by law for commission membership, attendance, or expenses.

(h) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for [To be eligible to take] office as a member of the commission may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of the commission until the [, a] person completes [appointed to the commission must complete at least one course of] a training program that complies with Subsection (i).

(i) The training program required by Subsection (h) must provide information to the person regarding:

(1) this chapter [the enabling legislation that created the commission];

(2) the programs, functions, rules, and budget of [operated by] the commission;

(3) the results of the most recent formal audit [role and functions] of the commission;

(4) the requirements of laws relating to open meetings, public information, administrative procedure, and conflicts of interest [rules of the commission with an emphasis on the rules that relate to disciplinary and investigatory authority]; and

(5) [the current budget for the commission;

[(6) the results of the most recent formal audit of the commission;

[(7) the requirements of the:

[(A) open meetings law, Chapter 551;

[(B) open records law, Chapter 552; and

[(C) administrative procedure law, Chapter 2001;

[(8) the requirements of the conflict of interests laws and other laws relating to public officials; and

[(9)] any applicable ethics policies adopted by the commission or the Texas Ethics Commission.

(j) A person appointed to the commission is entitled to reimbursement, [for travel expenses incurred in attending the training program required by Subsection (h)] as provided by the General Appropriations Act, for the travel expenses incurred in attending the training program required by Subsection (h) regardless of whether attendance at the program occurs before or after [and as if] the person qualifies for office [were a member of the commission].

SECTION 3. Section 511.0041(a), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) It is a ground for removal from the commission if a member:

(1) does not have at the time of taking office [appointment] the qualifications required by Section 511.004;

(2) does not maintain during service on the commission the qualifications required by Section 511.004;

(3) is ineligible for membership under [violates a prohibition established by] Section 511.004(g) or 511.0042;

(4) cannot discharge the member's duties for a substantial part of the term for which the member is appointed because of illness or disability; or

(5) is absent from more than half of the regularly scheduled commission meetings that the member is eligible to attend during a calendar year without an excuse approved [unless the absence is excused] by a majority vote of the commission.

SECTION 4. Section 511.0042, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 511.0042. CONFLICT OF INTEREST. (a) A person may not be a member of the commission and may not be a commission employee employed in a "bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity," as that phrase is used for purposes of establishing an exemption to the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.) if:

(1) the person is an [An] officer, employee, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of county corrections; or

(2) the person's [may not be a member of the commission or an employee of the commission who is exempt from the state's position classification plan or is compensated at or above the amount prescribed by the General Appropriations Act for step 1, salary group 17, of the position classification salary schedule.

[(b) A person who is the] spouse is [of] an officer, manager, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of county corrections [may not be a commission member and may not be a commission employee who is exempt from the state's position classification plan or is compensated at or above the amount prescribed by the General Appropriations Act for step 1, salary group 17, of the position classification salary schedule].

(b) In [(c) For the purposes of] this section, "Texas trade association" means [a Texas trade association is] a [nonprofit,] cooperative [,] and voluntarily joined statewide association of business or professional competitors in this state designed to assist its members and its industry or profession in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in promoting their common interest.

(c) [(d)] A person may not be [serve as] a member of the commission or act as the general counsel to the commission if the person is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 because of the person's activities for compensation on behalf of a profession related to the operation of the commission.

SECTION 5. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 511.0061 to read as follows:

Sec. 511.0061. USE OF TECHNOLOGY. The commission shall implement a policy requiring the commission to use appropriate technological solutions to improve the commission's ability to perform its functions. The policy must ensure that the public is able to interact with the commission on the Internet.

SECTION 6. Section 511.0071, Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a), (d), (e), and (f) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:

(a) The commission shall prepare information of public interest describing the functions of the commission and the commission's procedures by which complaints regarding the commission and complaints regarding jails under the commission's jurisdiction are filed with and resolved by the commission. The commission shall make the information available:

(1) to the public, inmates, county officials, and appropriate state agencies; and

(2) on any publicly accessible Internet website maintained by the commission.

(a-1) The commission shall adopt rules and procedures regarding the receipt, investigation, resolution, and disclosure to the public of complaints regarding the commission and complaints regarding jails under the commission's jurisdiction that are filed with the commission. The commission shall:

(1) prescribe a form or forms on which written complaints regarding the commission and complaints regarding jails under the commission's jurisdiction may be filed with the commission;

(2) keep an information file in accordance with Subsection (f) regarding each complaint filed with the commission regarding the commission or a jail under the commission's jurisdiction;

(3) develop procedures for prioritizing complaints filed with the commission and a reasonable time frame for responding to those complaints;

(4) maintain a system for promptly and efficiently acting on complaints filed with the commission;

(5) develop a procedure for tracking and analyzing all complaints filed with the commission, according to criteria that must include:

(A) the reason for or origin of complaints;

(B) the average number of days that elapse between the date on which complaints are filed, the date on which the commission first investigates or otherwise responds to complaints, and the date on which complaints are resolved;

(C) the outcome of investigations or the resolution of complaints, including dismissals and commission actions resulting from complaints;

(D) the number of pending complaints at the close of each fiscal year; and

(E) a list of complaint topics that the commission does not have jurisdiction to investigate or resolve; and

(6) regularly prepare and distribute to members of the commission a report containing a summary of the information compiled under Subdivision (5).

(d) [The commission shall keep an information file about each complaint filed with the commission that the commission has authority to resolve. The commission is not required to keep an information file about a complaint to the commission from or related to a prisoner of a county or municipal jail.] The commission shall adopt rules and procedures regarding the referral of [refer] a complaint filed with the commission from or related to a prisoner to the appropriate local agency for investigation and resolution. The commission [and] may perform a special inspection of a facility named in the complaint to determine compliance with commission requirements.

(e) If a written complaint is filed with the commission that the commission has authority to resolve, the commission at least quarterly and until final disposition of the complaint shall notify the parties to the complaint of the status of the complaint, unless the notice would jeopardize an undercover investigation. This subsection does not apply to a complaint referred to a local agency under Subsection (d).

(f) The commission shall collect and maintain information about each complaint received by the commission regarding the commission or a jail under the commission's jurisdiction, including:

(1) the date the complaint is received;

(2) the name of the complainant;

(3) the subject matter of the complaint;

(4) a record of all persons contacted in relation to the complaint;

(5) a summary of the results of the review or investigation of the complaint; and

(6) for a complaint for which the agency took no action, an explanation of the reason the complaint was closed without action.

SECTION 7. Section 511.008(e), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) The commission shall develop and implement policies that clearly separate the policymaking responsibilities of the commission and the management responsibilities of the executive director [define the respective responsibilities of the commission] and the staff of the commission.

SECTION 8. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 511.0085 to read as follows:

Sec. 511.0085. RISK FACTORS; RISK ASSESSMENT PLAN. (a) The commission shall develop a comprehensive set of risk factors to use in assessing the overall risk level of each jail under the commission's jurisdiction. The set of risk factors must include:

(1) a history of the jail's compliance with state law and commission rules, standards, and procedures;

(2) the population of the jail;

(3) the number and nature of complaints regarding the jail, including complaints regarding a violation of any required ratio of correctional officers to inmates;

(4) problems with the jail's internal grievance procedures;

(5) available mental and medical health reports relating to inmates in the jail, including reports relating to infectious disease or pregnant inmates;

(6) recent turnover among sheriffs and jail staff;

(7) inmate escapes from the jail; and

(8) the number and nature of inmate deaths at the jail, including the results of the investigations of those deaths.

(b) The commission shall use the set of risk factors developed under Subsection (a) to guide the inspections process for all jails under the commission's jurisdiction by:

(1) establishing a risk assessment plan to use in assessing the overall risk level of each jail; and

(2) regularly monitoring the overall risk level of each jail.

SECTION 9. Section 511.009(a), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The commission shall:

(1) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum standards for the construction, equipment, maintenance, and operation of county jails;

(2) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum standards for the custody, care, and treatment of prisoners;

(3) adopt reasonable rules establishing minimum standards for the number of jail supervisory personnel and for programs and services to meet the needs of prisoners;

(4) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum requirements for programs of rehabilitation, education, and recreation in county jails;

(5) revise, amend, or change rules and procedures if necessary;

(6) provide to local government officials consultation on and technical assistance for county jails;

(7) review and comment on plans for the construction and major modification or renovation of county jails;

(8) require that the sheriff and commissioners of each county submit to the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission, an annual report on the conditions in each county jail within their jurisdiction, including all information necessary to determine compliance with state law, commission orders, and the rules adopted under this chapter;

(9) review the reports submitted under Subdivision (8) and require commission employees to inspect county jails regularly to ensure compliance with state law, commission orders, and rules and procedures adopted under this chapter;

(10) adopt a classification system to assist sheriffs and judges in determining which defendants are low-risk and consequently suitable participants in a county jail work release program under Article 42.034, Code of Criminal Procedure;

(11) adopt rules relating to requirements for segregation of classes of inmates and to capacities for county jails;

(12) require that the chief jailer of each municipal lockup submit to the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission, an annual report of persons under 17 years of age securely detained in the lockup, including all information necessary to determine compliance with state law concerning secure confinement of children in municipal lockups;

(13) at least annually determine whether each county jail is in compliance with the rules and procedures adopted under this chapter;

(14) require that the sheriff and commissioners court of each county submit to the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission, an annual report of persons under 17 years of age securely detained in the county jail, including all information necessary to determine compliance with state law concerning secure confinement of children in county jails; [and]

(15) schedule announced and unannounced inspections of jails under the commission's [its] jurisdiction using the risk assessment plan established under Section 511.0085 to guide the inspections process; and

(16) adopt a policy for gathering and distributing to jails under the commission's jurisdiction information regarding:

(A) common issues concerning jail administration;

(B) examples of successful strategies for maintaining compliance with state law and the rules, standards, and procedures of the commission; and

(C) solutions to operational challenges for jails [based on the jail's history of compliance with commission standards and other high-risk factors identified by the commission].

SECTION 10. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 511.0115 to read as follows:

Sec. 511.0115. PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT COMPLIANCE STATUS OF JAILS. The commission shall provide information to the public concerning whether jails under the commission's jurisdiction are in compliance with state law and the rules, standards, and procedures of the commission:

(1) on any publicly accessible Internet website maintained by the commission; and

(2) through other formats, including newsletters or press releases, as determined by the commission.

SECTION 11. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 511.018 to read as follows:

Sec. 511.018. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a policy to encourage the use of:

(1) negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter 2008 for the adoption of commission rules; and

(2) appropriate alternative dispute resolution procedures under Chapter 2009 to assist in the resolution of internal and external disputes under the commission's jurisdiction.

(b) The commission's procedures relating to alternative dispute resolution must conform, to the extent possible, to any model guidelines issued by the State Office of Administrative Hearings for the use of alternative dispute resolution by state agencies.

(c) The commission shall designate a trained person to:

(1) coordinate the implementation of the policy adopted under Subsection (a);

(2) serve as a resource for any training needed to implement the procedures for negotiated rulemaking or alternative dispute resolution; and

(3) collect data concerning the effectiveness of those procedures, as implemented by the commission.

SECTION 12. Section 511.0071(c), Government Code, is repealed.

SECTION 13. The change in law made by Section 511.004(h), Government Code, as amended by this Act, regarding training for members of the Commission on Jail Standards does not affect the entitlement of a member serving on the commission immediately before September 1, 2009, to continue to serve and function as a member of the commission for the remainder of the member's term, unless otherwise removed as provided by law. The change in law described by Section 511.004(h), Government Code, applies only to a member appointed or reappointed on or after September 1, 2009.

SECTION 14. The changes in law made by this Act in the prohibitions or qualifications applying to a member of the Commission on Jail Standards do not affect the entitlement of a member serving on the commission immediately before September 1, 2009, to continue to serve and function as a member of the commission for the remainder of the member's term, unless otherwise removed as provided by law. Those changes in law apply only to a member appointed on or after September 1, 2009.

SECTION 15. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.