BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3195

By: Wu

Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised that the Texas Juvenile Justice Department lacks the flexibility to reduce the period of confinement for certain juvenile offenders who are sentenced to a residential program and who could be released for reintegration into the community as a result of completing the program earlier than the sentenced confinement. H.B. 3195 seeks to address these concerns by providing that flexibility.

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. 3195 amends the Family Code to extend the authority of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to reduce the period in which TJJD may require a child at sanction level six to participate in a highly structured residential program that emphasizes discipline, accountability, fitness, training, and productive work for not less than nine months or more than 24 months and requires the reason for the reduction to be documented.

H.B. 3195 amends the Human Resources Code to make certain records of examinations and treatment and all other information concerning a child committed to TJJD available to an individual or entity assisting TJJD in providing transition planning and reentry services to the child, as determined by TJJD. The bill changes the deadline by which TJJD is required to provide the court that committed the child to TJJD custody a copy of the child's reentry and reintegration plan and a report concerning the progress the child has made while committed to TJJD from not later than the 30th day before the child's release to not later than the 10th day before that date.

H.B. 3195 repeals Section 30.106(e), Education Code, relating to the prohibition against a student in a TJJD educational program from being released on parole from TJJD unless the student participates in the positive behavior support system and in reading instruction.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.