BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1374

By: Hernandez

Corrections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been reported that pretrial diversion programs are a successful, cost-effective tool in reducing recidivism and present additional benefits to defendants who are pregnant or the primary caregiver of a minor, as such programs can help minimize disruptions to households that may have otherwise occurred if the defendant were incarcerated. C.S.H.B. 1374 seeks to encourage these outcomes by authorizing the community justice assistance division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to award grants for pretrial diversion programs tailored specifically for individuals who are pregnant or the primary caregiver of a minor.

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

C.S.H.B. 1374 amends the Government Code to authorize the community justice assistance division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to award a grant to a community supervision and corrections department for the development and operation of a pretrial intervention program for defendants who are pregnant at the time of placement into the program or the primary caretaker of a child younger than 18 years of age.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1374 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute expands the programs for which the division may award a grant by including pretrial intervention programs for pregnant defendants. The substitute does not include municipalities or counties as authorized grant recipients.