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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study of the feasibility and desirability of certain |
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changes to the juvenile justice system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) The executive director of the Texas Juvenile |
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Justice Department shall create a committee composed of employees |
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of the department to conduct a study on the feasibility and |
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desirability of certain changes to the juvenile justice system to |
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better provide effective services to youth. |
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(b) The study shall address and analyze the ability of the |
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department to: |
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(1) use a regionalized system of smaller facilities to |
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place children in a location as close as possible to their families; |
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(2) create diversified treatment and placement |
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options; |
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(3) improve existing mechanisms in place to prevent or |
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limit youth from being sent to the Texas Department of Criminal |
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Justice; |
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(4) collect and report the necessary data to support |
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performance-based standards focused on outcome measures for the |
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juvenile justice system; |
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(5) provide services to youth who are 17 years of age |
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or older if the law or the age of criminal responsibility were |
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changed; |
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(6) adequately serve and place youth with special |
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needs, including youth with severe mental illness and youth with |
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physical or educational disabilities; |
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(7) provide all youth in secure placement with |
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sufficient and effective oversight by the independent ombudsman; |
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and |
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(8) establish funding priorities for services that |
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support the mission of the department and do not provide incentives |
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to incarcerate youth. |
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(c) The executive director shall appoint the members of the |
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committee under this section not later than December 1, 2013. |
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(d) Not later than August 1, 2015, the committee established |
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under this section shall submit to the Sunset Advisory Commission |
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and to the legislature a report on the study required under this |
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section. The committee shall include in the report any legislative |
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recommendations based on the study. |
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(e) The department must make the report created by the |
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committee under this section available to the public on the |
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department's Internet website. |
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(f) The committee is abolished and this Act expires |
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September 1, 2015. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |