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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study conducted by counties on the effectiveness of |
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establishing a family drug court; establishing a family drug court |
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grant program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 122, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Sections 122.005 and 122.006 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 122.005. FAMILY DRUG COURT STUDY. (a) The |
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commissioners court of a county that has not established a family |
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drug court program may conduct a study of the effect the creation of |
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a family drug court would have in the county. If the commissioners |
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court conducts a study under this section, the sheriff and, as |
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applicable, the county attorney, district attorney, or criminal |
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district attorney shall assist in conducting the study. |
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(b) A commissioners court that conducts a study under this |
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section shall request assistance from the following persons located |
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in the county: |
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(1) judges; |
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(2) child protective services caseworkers and |
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supervisors; |
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(3) attorneys ad litem; |
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(4) guardians ad litem; |
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(5) drug treatment providers; |
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(6) family and child therapists; |
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(7) peer recovery coach providers; |
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(8) domestic violence victim advocates; |
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(9) housing partners; |
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(10) drug coordinators; |
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(11) drug court services managers; and |
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(12) drug court case managers. |
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(c) A study conducted under this section must analyze the |
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effectiveness of: |
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(1) creating a court that specializes in cases in |
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which a parent or person standing in parental relation suffers from |
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drug addiction; and |
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(2) case management used by a family drug court |
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program, including the involvement of Department of Family and |
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Protective Services caseworkers, court-appointed case managers, |
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and court-appointed special advocates, to rehabilitate a parent or |
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person standing in parental relation who has had a child removed |
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from the parent's or person's care by the department or who is under |
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investigation to determine if a child should be removed from the |
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parent's or person's care by the department. |
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(d) This section expires January 1, 2021. |
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Sec. 122.006. GRANT FUNDING FOR FAMILY DRUG COURTS. (a) |
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The family drug court fund is a dedicated account in the general |
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revenue fund in the state treasury. |
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(b) The family drug court fund consists of: |
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(1) appropriations of money to the fund by the |
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legislature; and |
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(2) gifts, grants, including grants from the federal |
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government, and other donations received for the fund. |
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(c) The Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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administer the family drug court fund. Money in the account may be |
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used only to award grants to counties to establish and administer a |
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family drug court. To receive money from the family drug court fund |
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a county must submit the study conducted under Section 122.005 on |
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the effect of the creation of a family drug court in the county and a |
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detailed proposal of the establishment of the court. |
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SECTION 2. The Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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adopt rules establishing the criteria for awarding a grant to |
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counties to establish a family drug court under Section 122.006, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, |
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2020. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |