By: Guillen (Senate Sponsor - Rodriguez) H.B. No. 2719

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2013; May 10, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; May 17, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 17, 2013, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to collecting and reporting information concerning inmates who have been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services and concerning inmate parole, reentry, and integration.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 501.023 to read as follows:

Sec. 501.023. INFORMATION CONCERNING FOSTER CARE HISTORY. (a) The department, during the diagnostic process, shall assess each inmate with respect to whether the inmate has at any time been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services.

(b) Not later than December 31 of each year, the department shall submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each standing committee having primary jurisdiction over the department. The report must summarize statistical information concerning the total number of inmates who have at any time been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services.

SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 501.103 to read as follows:

Sec. 501.103. ANNUAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December 31 of each year, the department's reentry and integration division and parole division shall jointly prepare and submit an annual report to:

(1) the governor;

(2) the lieutenant governor;

(3) the speaker of the house of representatives;

(4) the standing committees of the house and senate primarily responsible for criminal justice issues and corrections issues; and

(5) the reentry task force.

(b) The report must include the following information about parole during the year in which the report is submitted:

(1) the number of referrals of releasees for employment, housing, medical care, treatment for substance abuse or mental illness, education, or other basic needs;

(2) the outcome of each referral;

(3) the identified areas in which referrals are not possible due to unavailable resources or providers;

(4) community resources available to releasees, including faith-based and volunteer organizations; and

(5) parole officer training.

(c) The report must include the following information about reentry and reintegration during the year in which the report is submitted:

(1) the outcomes of programs and services that are available to releasees based on follow-up inquiries evaluating clients' progress after release;

(2) the common reentry barriers identified during releasees' individual assessments, including in areas of employment, housing, medical care, treatment for substance abuse or mental illness, education, or other basic needs;

(3) the common reentry benefits and services that reentry coordinators help releasees obtain or apply for;

(4) available community resources, including faith-based and volunteer organizations; and

(5) reentry coordinator training.

(d) The report required by Subsection (a) must be made available to the public.

SECTION 3. The reentry and integration division and the parole division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall submit the initial report required by Section 501.103, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than December 31, 2014.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

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