85R5625 JRR-D

By: Blanco H.B. No. 865

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to establishing a veterans services coordinator for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and a veterans rehabilitation dorm program for certain state jail defendants confined by the department.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 501.025 to read as follows:

Sec. 501.025. VETERANS SERVICES COORDINATOR. (a) The department shall establish a veterans services coordinator to coordinate responses to the needs of veterans under the supervision of the department, including veterans who are released on parole or mandatory supervision. The veterans services coordinator, with the cooperation of the community justice assistance division, shall provide information to community supervision and corrections departments to help those departments coordinate responses to the needs of veterans placed on community supervision. The veterans services coordinator shall coordinate veterans' services for all of the department's divisions.

(b) The veterans services coordinator, in collaboration with the attorney general's office, shall provide each incarcerated veteran a child support modification application.

SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 507, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 507.034 to read as follows:

Sec. 507.034. VETERANS REHABILITATION DORM PROGRAM. (a) The department shall establish a voluntary rehabilitation and transition program for defendants confined in state jail felony facilities:

(1) who are veterans of the United States armed forces, including veterans of the reserves, national guard, or state guard; and

(2) who suffer from a brain injury, a mental illness, a mental disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance abuse that:

(A) occurred during or resulted from their military service; and

(B) may have contributed to their criminal activity.

(b) The program must:

(1) house defendants participating in the program in housing that is designed to mimic the squadron structure familiar to veterans;

(2) provide rehabilitation programming in developing healthy relationships, anger management techniques, and substance abuse treatment; and

(3) to the extent feasible, not later than the 30th day before the date a defendant participating in the program is released or discharged from the department:

(A) match the defendant with a Military Veteran Peer Network peer service coordinator to assist the defendant in transitioning into the community; and

(B) transfer the defendant to a state jail felony facility located near the defendant's home community, or the community in which the defendant intends to reside after the defendant's release or discharge, to begin establishing transition relationships with the peer service coordinator and family members.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.