By: Miles, Burton S.B. No. 677

(In the Senate - Filed January 31, 2017; February 15, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; April 10, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 10, 2017, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of a task force to identify opportunities for academic credit and industry recognition for inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 19, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 19.012 to read as follows:

Sec. 19.012. TASK FORCE ON ACADEMIC CREDIT AND INDUSTRY RECOGNITION. (a) The Windham School District, in consultation with the department, shall establish a task force to review the work or other productive activities in which persons confined or imprisoned in the department engage.

(b) The task force is composed of the following seven members:

(1) two representatives of the department designated by the executive director of the department;

(2) one representative of the district designated by the superintendent of the district;

(3) one representative of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board designated by the commissioner of higher education;

(4) one representative of the Texas Workforce Commission designated by the executive director of the commission;

(5) one representative of a private vendor operating a correctional facility under a contract with the department, appointed by the governor; and

(6) one representative of a public junior college, as defined by Section 61.003, appointed by the governor.

(c) The governor shall designate a member of the task force to serve as presiding officer.

(d) A vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the initial appointment.

(e) A member of the task force may not receive compensation for service on the task force, but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force duties.

(f) The task force may accept gifts and grants from any source to be used to carry out a function of the task force.

(g) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call of the presiding officer and at other times as determined by the presiding officer.

(h) The task force shall:

(1) conduct an ongoing comprehensive review of the work or other productive activities in which persons confined or imprisoned in the department engage; and

(2) identify opportunities for the award of high school credit, college credit, or joint high school and college credit, or the award of an industry-recognized credential or certificate, for engaging in that work or activity.

(i) The district, in consultation with the department, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Texas Workforce Commission, shall for any type of work or productive activity for which an opportunity is identified under Subsection (h), determine the actions necessary for obtaining the award of the applicable academic credit or industry recognition.

(j) Not less than once every four years, the task force shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the standing committees of the legislature having jurisdiction over the department a report that summarizes the review conducted under Subsection (h) and the district's actions with regard to obtaining the award of academic credit or industry recognition under Subsection (i). The district shall provide the task force with any information necessary to complete the report.

(k) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the task force established under this section.

(l) The task force shall submit the first report required under Subsection (j) not later than December 31, 2020. This subsection expires February 1, 2021.

SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2017, the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the superintendent of the Windham School District, the commissioner of higher education, the executive director of the Texas Workforce Commission, and the governor shall appoint members to the task force established by Section 19.012, Education Code, as added by this Act, in the manner required by Subsection (b) of that section.

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

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