BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2481
86R24097 LHC-D	By: Metcalf et al. (Creighton)
	Criminal Justice
	5/13/2019
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

It has been noted that a veteran participating in a veterans treatment court program does not necessarily receive treatment near the veteran's home because the underlying criminal charges are not always incurred in a veteran's home county. There are concerns that a veteran's participation in the program may be adversely affected when the veteran is not near the veteran's residence or workplace. H.B. 2481 seeks to address this problem by authorizing a veterans treatment court program to transfer responsibility for supervising a defendant's participation in the program to another program closer to the defendant's residence or workplace.

 

H.B. 2481 amends current law relating to the administration of a veteran treatment court program.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 124.003(b), Government Code, as follows:

(b) Requires a veterans treatment court program established under this chapter (Veterans Treatment Court Program) to make, establish, and publish local procedures to ensure maximum participation of eligible defendants in the program, rather than requiring a veterans treatment court program established under this chapter to make, establish, and publish local procedures to ensure maximum participation of eligible defendants in the county or counties in which those defendants reside.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 124.006(a) and (d), Government Code, as follows:

 

(a) Authorizes a veterans treatment court program that accepts placement of a defendant to transfer responsibility for supervising the defendant's participation in the program to another veterans treatment court program that is located in the county where the defendant works or resides or in a county adjacent to the county where the defendant works or resides, rather than in the county where the defendant works or resides.

 

(d) Authorizes the court in which the criminal case is pending, if a defendant is charged with an offense in a county that does not operate a veterans treatment court program, to place the defendant in a veterans treatment court program located in the county where the defendant works or resides or in a county adjacent to the county where the defendant works or resides, rather than in the county where the defendant works or resides, provided that a program is operated in that county and the defendant agrees to the placement.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.