| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the creation of an advisory committee to examine and |
|
|
recommend a plan to increase the minimum age of juvenile |
|
|
jurisdiction. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "board" means the Texas |
|
|
Juvenile Justice Board. |
|
|
SECTION 2. JUVENILE JURISDICTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Not |
|
|
later than December 1, 2015, the board shall appoint an advisory |
|
|
committee to develop a plan for raising the minimum age of a child |
|
|
subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years of age to 13 |
|
|
years of age. |
|
|
SECTION 3. APPOINTMENTS; PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) In making |
|
|
appointments to the advisory committee, the board shall appoint |
|
|
members the board considers appropriate and who represent the |
|
|
geographic diversity of the state. The advisory committee must |
|
|
include: |
|
|
(1) one member from the Texas Juvenile Justice |
|
|
Department; |
|
|
(2) one member from the Department of State Health |
|
|
Services; |
|
|
(3) one member from the Health and Human Services |
|
|
Commission; |
|
|
(4) one member from the Texas Education Agency or who |
|
|
has expertise in education; |
|
|
(5) one member from the Legislative Budget Board with |
|
|
relevant expertise; |
|
|
(6) at least one member from the Department of Family |
|
|
and Protective Services; |
|
|
(7) at least three chief juvenile probation officers, |
|
|
including at least one chief juvenile probation officer from an |
|
|
urban county, one chief juvenile probation officer from a suburban |
|
|
county, and one chief juvenile probation officer from a rural |
|
|
county; |
|
|
(8) at least two members from local mental health |
|
|
authorities, including at least one member from an urban county and |
|
|
one member from a rural county; |
|
|
(9) a prosecutor with expertise in prosecuting |
|
|
juvenile offenders; |
|
|
(10) a defense attorney who specializes in juvenile |
|
|
defense; |
|
|
(11) a youth advocate; |
|
|
(12) private providers of youth services, including |
|
|
prevention services; |
|
|
(13) an individual with expertise in adolescent |
|
|
development or the impact of trauma on adolescents; |
|
|
(14) an individual who was involved with the juvenile |
|
|
justice system before the individual's thirteenth birthday or a |
|
|
parent of an individual who was involved with the juvenile justice |
|
|
system before the individual's thirteenth birthday; and |
|
|
(15) any other member considered appropriate by the |
|
|
board. |
|
|
(b) The board shall select one member of the advisory |
|
|
committee to serve as presiding officer of the advisory committee. |
|
|
SECTION 4. COMPENSATION. A member of the advisory |
|
|
committee serves without compensation and is not entitled to |
|
|
reimbursement for travel expenses. |
|
|
SECTION 5. APPLICATION OF LAWS GOVERNING ADVISORY |
|
|
COMMITTEES. The advisory committee is not subject to Chapter 2110, |
|
|
Government Code. |
|
|
SECTION 6. DUTIES OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The advisory |
|
|
committee shall: |
|
|
(1) evaluate the feasibility of raising the minimum |
|
|
age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years |
|
|
of age to 13 years of age; |
|
|
(2) identify services currently available for |
|
|
juveniles between 10 and 13 years of age within the juvenile justice |
|
|
system; and |
|
|
(3) develop an implementation plan to raise the |
|
|
minimum age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from |
|
|
10 years of age to 13 years of age, including: |
|
|
(A) methods for ensuring that juveniles between |
|
|
10 and 13 years of age who currently receive services through the |
|
|
juvenile justice system continue to be eligible for and receive |
|
|
services outside of the juvenile justice system; and |
|
|
(B) any legislative, administrative, or funding |
|
|
provisions required to adopt the plan. |
|
|
SECTION 7. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2016, the |
|
|
advisory committee shall submit to the Texas Juvenile Justice |
|
|
Board, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and appropriate |
|
|
committees of the legislature a report that contains the advisory |
|
|
committee's findings and the implementation plan developed under |
|
|
Section 6 of this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 8. EXPIRATION DATE. The advisory committee is |
|
|
abolished and this Act expires December 31, 2016. |
|
|
SECTION 9. 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. |