BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1409

By: Israel

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the collection of better criminal justice system data is needed in order to allow policymakers to make educated policy decisions to avoid overcrowding, inefficiency, and higher costs. H.B. 1409 seeks to address this issue by revising provisions relating to county jail population reports.

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

H.B. 1409 amends the Government Code to revise the classifications by which prisoners confined in a county jail are categorized for purposes of county jail population reports to include separate reporting categories for convicted Class C misdemeanor offenders and for convicted Class A and B misdemeanor offenders. The bill requires the Commission on Jail Standards to make county jail population reports available on the commission's website and requires a county to submit the first report reflecting the bill's provisions not later than October 5, 2017.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.