BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 2372

By: Dutton

Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department is currently required to provide training to juvenile correctional officers, with a certain amount of training to be completed before an officer independently commences the officer's duties. The purpose of C.S.H.B. 2372 is to amend those training requirements and provide for training that targets scenario-based, real-life facility environment training addressing some of the questions and concerns an officer will likely encounter on a day to day basis. 

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

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

 

C.S.H.B. 2372 amends the Human Resources Code to specify that the training the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) is required to provide to each juvenile correctional officer employed by TJJD is competency-based training. The bill requires each officer to complete at least 300 hours of training in the officer's first year of employment and decreases from 300 hours to 240 hours the minimum amount of training the officer is required to complete before the officer independently commences the officer's duties at the applicable facility. The bill requires an officer to demonstrate competency in the trained subjects as required by TJJD.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2015.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 2372 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

INTRODUCED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1.  Section 242.009(b), Human Resources Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b)  The department shall provide competency-based training to each juvenile correctional officer employed by the department, which must include on-the-job training.  The department shall provide each juvenile correctional officer with at least 240 [300] hours of training and the officer must demonstrate competency in the trained subjects [, which must include on-the-job training,] before the officer independently commences the officer's duties at the facility.  Each officer must complete at least 300 hours of training in the officer's first year of employment.  The training must provide the officer with information and instruction related to the officer's duties, including information and instruction concerning:

(1)  the juvenile justice system of this state, including the juvenile correctional facility system;

(2)  security procedures;

(3)  the supervision of children committed to the department;

(4)  signs of suicide risks and suicide precautions;

(5)  signs and symptoms of the abuse, assault, neglect, and exploitation of a child, including sexual abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and the manner in which to report the abuse, assault, neglect, or exploitation of a child;

(6)  the neurological, physical, and psychological development of adolescents;

(7)  department rules and regulations, including rules, regulations, and tactics concerning the use of force;

(8)  appropriate restraint techniques;

(9)  the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (42 U.S.C. Section 15601, et seq.);

(10)  the rights and responsibilities of children in the custody of the department;

(11)  interpersonal relationship skills;

(12)  the social and cultural lifestyles of children in the custody of the department;

(13)  first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation;

(14)  counseling techniques;

(15)  conflict resolution and dispute mediation, including de-escalation techniques;

(16)  behavior management;

(17)  mental health issues;

(18)  employee rights, employment discrimination, and sexual harassment; and

(19)  trauma-informed care.

 

SECTION 1.  Section 242.009(b), Human Resources Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b)  The department shall provide competency-based training to each juvenile correctional officer employed by the department, which must include on-the-job training. Each officer must complete at least 300 hours of training in the officer's first year of employment, with at least 240 [300] hours of training [, which must include on-the-job training,] before the officer independently commences the officer's duties at the facility. The officer must demonstrate competency in the trained subjects as required by the department. The training must provide the officer with information and instruction related to the officer's duties, including information and instruction concerning:

 

(1)  the juvenile justice system of this state, including the juvenile correctional facility system;

(2)  security procedures;

(3)  the supervision of children committed to the department;

(4)  signs of suicide risks and suicide precautions;

(5)  signs and symptoms of the abuse, assault, neglect, and exploitation of a child, including sexual abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and the manner in which to report the abuse, assault, neglect, or exploitation of a child;

(6)  the neurological, physical, and psychological development of adolescents;

(7)  department rules and regulations, including rules, regulations, and tactics concerning the use of force;

(8)  appropriate restraint techniques;

(9)  the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (42 U.S.C. Section 15601, et seq.);

(10)  the rights and responsibilities of children in the custody of the department;

(11)  interpersonal relationship skills;

(12)  the social and cultural lifestyles of children in the custody of the department;

(13)  first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation;

(14)  counseling techniques;

(15)  conflict resolution and dispute mediation, including de-escalation techniques;

(16)  behavior management;

(17)  mental health issues;

(18)  employee rights, employment discrimination, and sexual harassment; and

(19)  trauma-informed care.

 

SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only to a juvenile correctional officer hired by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department on or after the effective date of this Act.  A juvenile correctional officer hired before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 

SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.

 

 

SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

 

SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.