84R11647 MEW-F

By: Allen H.B. No. 2869

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of an advisory committee to study issues related to community supervision and corrections departments.

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

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:

(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

(2) "Division" means the community justice assistance division of the department.

SECTION 2. ADVISORY COMMITTEE; DUTIES. Not later than December 1, 2015, the department shall appoint an advisory committee to:

(1) study:

(A) the funding mechanisms for community supervision and corrections departments established under Chapter 76, Government Code;

(B) the efficacy of current grant funding formulas for purposes of meeting public safety needs; and

(C) the process by which the division makes the determination to allocate grant funding to community supervision and corrections departments;

(2) review problems facing community supervision and corrections departments, specifically pertaining to the adequacy of funding and whether state grant funding allocations fail to maximize available grant funds intended to decrease community supervision revocations; and

(3) provide recommendations relating to:

(A) streamlining the division's grant application process;

(B) increasing the equitable distribution of grant funds, with a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of historically underserved communities;

(C) developing community supervision strategies that result in decreased community supervision revocations; and

(D) decreasing community supervision and corrections department reliance on fees paid by defendants on community supervision to fund basic operations.

SECTION 3. APPOINTMENTS; PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) The department shall determine the size and composition of the advisory board. The advisory board must include:

(1) representatives of the department;

(2) representatives of community supervision and corrections departments established under Chapter 76, Government Code, who represent small, medium, and large jurisdictions with experience in decreasing community supervision revocations;

(3) a diverse range of community supervision and corrections department directors with knowledge of existing disparities in funding and grant awards;

(4) district or county attorneys;

(5) criminal defense attorneys;

(6) representatives of criminal justice reform organizations;

(7) judges who have demonstrated a deep understanding of evidence-based practices in community supervision and the effect of those practices on community safety and the use of taxpayer funds;

(8) individuals with expertise in issues related to substance abuse, mental health, or post-traumatic stress disorder;

(9) individuals who have successfully completed community supervision; and

(10) any other individuals or representatives of organizations the department determines would be of assistance in addressing the problems facing community supervision and corrections departments.

(b) The advisory committee shall elect one of its members as the presiding officer of the committee.

SECTION 4. REPORT. (a) Not later than September 1, 2016, the advisory committee shall submit a report containing the recommendations developed under Section 2 of this Act to:

(1) the department and the division;

(2) the governor;

(3) the lieutenant governor;

(4) the speaker of the house of representatives; and

(5) the standing committees in the senate and house of representatives primarily responsible for criminal justice issues.

(b) The department shall make the report submitted under Subsection (a) of this section available to the public and shall publish the report on its Internet website.

SECTION 5. COMPENSATION. Members of the advisory committee serve without compensation and are not entitled to reimbursement for expenses.

SECTION 6. APPLICATION OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the advisory committee.

SECTION 7. EXPIRATION DATE. The advisory committee is abolished and this Act expires January 1, 2017.

SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.