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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to evaluating the effectiveness of veterans treatment |
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court programs in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 71.037, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 71.037. SPECIALTY COURT BEST PRACTICES. The council |
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shall: |
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(1) review and as appropriate approve recommendations |
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made by the Specialty Courts Advisory Council under Section |
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772.0061(b)(2); and |
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(2) conduct an ongoing evaluation to determine the |
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effectiveness of veterans treatment court programs established |
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under Chapter 124 using the guidelines and objective performance |
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measures developed by the Office of Court Administration of the |
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Texas Judicial System under Section 72.0305. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 72.0305 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 72.0305. VETERANS TREATMENT COURT PROGRAM EVALUATION. |
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(a) The office shall establish guidelines for and define the scope |
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of an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of veterans treatment |
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court programs established under Chapter 124. |
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(b) The guidelines described by Subsection (a) must contain |
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objective performance measures, including a standard definition of |
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recidivism to evaluate each veterans treatment court program's |
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effectiveness in preventing participants from reentering the |
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criminal justice system. |
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(c) The office shall collect and analyze data regarding: |
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(1) the rate of recidivism among defendants who |
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successfully completed a veterans treatment court program; and |
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(2) the statewide rate of recidivism among defendants |
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who have committed offenses for which a veteran may be eligible to |
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participate in a veterans treatment court program. |
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(d) Subsection (c) and this subsection expire September 1, |
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2031. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |