By: Miles S.B. No. 1980
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of the office of independent oversight
  ombudsman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle G, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 512 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 512. OFFICE OF INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT OMBUDSMAN FOR TEXAS
  DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
  SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
         Sec. 512.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Facility" means a facility operated by or under
  contract with the department that is used primarily for the
  confinement of offenders.
               (2)  "Offender" means an inmate or state jail defendant
  confined in a facility.
               (3)  "Office" means the office of independent oversight
  ombudsman.
               (4)  "Ombudsman" means the individual appointed under
  this chapter as ombudsman for the office.
         Sec. 512.002.  ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The office is a
  state agency established for the purpose of monitoring the
  conditions of confinement and treatment of offenders,
  investigating, evaluating, and securing the rights of offenders,
  and assisting the department in improving its operations. The
  office is also responsible for conducting in-depth reviews and
  analyses of data, determining long-term needs, identifying
  critical issues facing the department and corresponding solutions
  to those issues, investigating significant group disturbances and
  critical incidents, and assessing the efficacy of existing
  programs.
         Sec. 512.003.  INDEPENDENCE. (a) The ombudsman acts
  independently of the department and the board in the performance of
  the ombudsman's powers and duties under this chapter.
         (b)  Funding for the office is appropriated separately from
  funding for the department.
  SUBCHAPTER B. APPOINTMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF OFFICE
         Sec. 512.051.  APPOINTMENT OF OMBUDSMAN. (a) The governor
  shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the senate, a person
  to serve as ombudsman from a list of persons recommended by the
  chair of each standing committee of the legislature having primary
  jurisdiction over the department.
         (b)  The ombudsman serves a four-year term and may be removed
  by the governor only for good cause.
         (c)  A person may not serve as ombudsman for more than two
  terms.
         Sec. 512.052.  ASSISTANTS. The ombudsman may appoint
  assistants to perform, under the direction of the ombudsman, the
  same duties and to exercise the same powers as the ombudsman.
         Sec. 512.053.  CONFLICT OF INTEREST. (a) In this section,
  "Texas trade association" means a cooperative and voluntarily
  joined association of business or professional competitors in this
  state designed to assist its members and its industry or profession
  in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in
  promoting their common interest.
         (b)  A person may not serve as ombudsman or as an assistant
  ombudsman if the person or the person's spouse:
               (1)  is employed by or participates in the management
  of a business entity or other organization receiving funds from the
  department or the office or was employed by or participated in the
  management of such an entity or organization in the five years
  preceding the date of the person's appointment;
               (2)  owns or controls, directly or indirectly, any
  interest in a business entity or other organization receiving funds
  from the department or the office;
               (3)  uses or receives any amount of tangible goods,
  services, or funds from the department or the office;
               (4)  is an officer, employee, manager, or paid
  consultant of the department or was an officer, employee, manager,
  or paid consultant of the department in the five years preceding the
  date of the person's appointment;
               (5)  is required to register as a lobbyist under
  Chapter 305 because of the person's activities for compensation on
  behalf of a profession related to the operation of the department or
  the office; or
               (6)  is an officer, employee, manager, or paid
  consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of criminal or
  juvenile justice.
         Sec. 512.054.  REPORT. (a) The ombudsman shall prepare and
  submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state auditor,
  and each member of the legislature:
               (1)  periodic reports that evaluate systemic issues
  affecting the department and any current issues at individual
  facilities; and
               (2)  an annual report that is both aggregated and
  disaggregated by individual facility and describes:
                     (A)  the work of the ombudsman and office;
                     (B)  the results of any review or investigation
  undertaken by the ombudsman, including any review or investigation
  of services contracted by the department; and
                     (C)  any recommendations that the ombudsman has
  regarding:
                           (i)  the duties of the ombudsman; or
                           (ii)  the operations of the department.
         (b)  The ombudsman shall immediately report to the executive
  director, or the executive director's designee, and to the
  governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
  representatives, the state auditor, and the office of the inspector
  general of the department any particularly serious or flagrant:
               (1)  confirmed case of abuse or injury of an offender;
               (2)  problem concerning the administration of a
  department program or operation;
               (3)  problem concerning the delivery of services in a
  facility;
               (4)  interference by the department with an
  investigation conducted by the office; or
               (5)  confirmed outbreak of a communicable disease as
  defined by Section 81.003, Health and Safety Code.
         (c)  In response to any recommendation made by the ombudsman
  in a report submitted under this section, the department shall:
               (1)  develop a corrective action plan to specifically
  address the recommendation; or
               (2)  submit to the ombudsman a written objection to the
  recommendation that includes the reasons for the objection.
         (d)  The ombudsman shall publish on the office's Internet
  website each:
               (1)  report submitted under this section;
               (2)  corrective action plan developed under Subsection
  (c)(1); and
               (3)  objection submitted under Subsection (c)(2).
         Sec. 512.055.  COMMUNICATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) The
  department shall establish procedures allowing any offender or
  facility administrator or employee to communicate with the
  ombudsman or an assistant ombudsman regarding a power or duty of the
  ombudsman or office. The communication:
               (1)  may be in person, by mail, or by any other means;
  and
               (2)  is confidential and privileged.
         (b)  The records of the ombudsman are confidential, except
  that the ombudsman shall:
               (1)  share with the office of the inspector general of
  the department a communication with an offender that may involve
  abuse or neglect; and
               (2)  disclose the ombudsman's nonprivileged records if
  required by a court order on a showing of good cause.
         (c)  The ombudsman may make public any report relating to an
  investigation after the investigation is complete, except that the
  names of all offenders, family members, and employees remain
  confidential and must be redacted before the report is made public.
         (d)  The name, address, and other personally identifiable
  information of a person who files a complaint with the office,
  information generated by the office in the course of an
  investigation, and confidential records obtained by the office are
  confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552,
  except that the information and records, other than confidential
  information and records concerning a pending law enforcement
  investigation or criminal action, may be disclosed to an
  appropriate person if the office determines that disclosure is:
               (1)  in the public interest;
               (2)  necessary to enable the office or ombudsman to
  perform a duty under this chapter; or
               (3)  necessary to identify, prevent, or treat physical
  or sexual assault or neglect of an offender.
         Sec. 512.056.  PROMOTION OF AWARENESS. The ombudsman shall
  promote awareness among the department, the public, and offenders
  regarding:
               (1)  how the office may be contacted;
               (2)  the purpose of the office; and
               (3)  the services the office provides.
         Sec. 512.057.  RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The office by rule
  shall establish policies and procedures for the operations of the
  office.
  SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES
         Sec. 512.101.  POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The ombudsman shall:
               (1)  review the procedures established by the
  department and evaluate the delivery of services to offenders to
  identify alternate procedures or services that would optimize the
  use of state resources while ensuring that the rights of offenders
  are fully observed;
               (2)  routinely review grievances and grievance logs to
  address any pattern of actions of the department affecting the
  treatment of offenders;
               (3)  conduct investigations of complaints submitted by
  offenders, family members, and employees and review criminal
  investigations conducted by the office of the inspector general of
  the department if the ombudsman determines that a pattern of
  complaints exists suggesting that an issue affects more than one
  offender;
               (4)  review or inspect periodically the facilities and
  procedures of any institution or residence in which an offender has
  been placed by the department, whether public or private, to ensure
  that the rights of offenders are fully observed;
               (5)  conduct immediate investigations of a significant
  group disturbance or other critical incident to determine whether a
  change in department policy or practice is necessary;
               (6)  provide assistance to an offender or family member
  who the ombudsman determines is in need of assistance, including
  advocating with an agency, provider, or other person in the best
  interests of the offender;
               (7)  review court orders as necessary to fulfill the
  ombudsman's duties;
               (8)  recommend changes in any procedure relating to the
  treatment of offenders;
               (9)  make appropriate referrals under any of the powers
  and duties listed in this subsection; and
               (10)  supervise an assistant ombudsman in the
  performance of the assistant ombudsman's duties.
         (b)  The ombudsman may inform persons who are interested in
  an offender's welfare of the rights of the offender.
         (c)  To determine if an offender's rights have been violated,
  the ombudsman may, in any matter that does not involve alleged
  criminal behavior, contact or consult with an administrator, an
  employee, a family member, an expert, another offender, or any
  other individual in the course of the ombudsman's investigation or
  to secure information.
         (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,
  the ombudsman may not investigate alleged criminal behavior, except
  that the ombudsman may review, in accordance with Subsection
  (a)(3), a criminal investigation conducted by the office of the
  inspector general of the department to ensure that the
  investigation was conducted in an accurate, unbiased, and thorough
  manner.
         (e)  An inmate's complaint to the office and any
  investigation conducted by the ombudsman under this chapter are
  independent of the inmate grievance system developed under Section
  501.008 and do not affect the procedures, rights, or duties
  established under that system or constitute a grievance under that
  system.
         Sec. 512.102.  RETALIATION PROHIBITED. The department may
  not:
               (1)  discharge, discipline, or in any manner
  discriminate or retaliate against an employee who makes a good
  faith complaint to the office or cooperates with an investigation
  under this chapter; or
               (2)  discipline or in any manner discriminate or
  retaliate against an offender who complains to or communicates or
  cooperates with the office in the course of the office carrying out
  its duties.
         Sec. 512.103.  TRAINING. The ombudsman may attend training
  sessions for correctional officers or participate in other
  appropriate professional training.
  SUBCHAPTER D. ACCESS TO INFORMATION, FACILITIES, AND PERSONNEL
         Sec. 512.151.  ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF CERTAIN GOVERNMENTAL
  ENTITIES. The department shall allow the ombudsman access to the
  department's records relating to an offender or investigation. In
  allowing access to records under this section, the department shall
  fully cooperate and collaborate with the office in a prompt manner
  in order for the office to carry out its duties and improve facility
  operations and conditions.
         Sec. 512.152.  ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF PRIVATE ENTITIES.
  The ombudsman may subpoena the records of a private entity that
  relate to a complaint the ombudsman is investigating.
         Sec. 512.153.  ACCESS TO FACILITIES, RECORDS, AND PERSONNEL.
  (a) The office may inspect or review without notice any part of a
  facility or any facility operation, policy, procedure, record, or
  log relating to:
               (1)  a condition of confinement;
               (2)  offender discipline and the use of force against
  an offender;
               (3)  an incident of assault or sexual assault;
               (4)  death of or serious bodily injury to an offender;
               (5)  the provision of health care, including mental
  health care;
               (6)  the offender grievance process;
               (7)  a telephone, mail, or visitation policy;
               (8)  a rehabilitation, reentry, or reintegration
  program;
               (9)  employee recruitment, training, supervision, or
  discipline; and
               (10)  staffing levels and staffing deployment.
         (b)  The ombudsman shall coordinate with the office of the
  inspector general of the department to develop policies and
  procedures that ensure an inspection or review under Subsection (a)
  does not interfere with a criminal investigation being conducted by
  the office of the inspector general.
         (c)  In conducting an investigation, the office may:
               (1)  interview offenders and facility administrators
  or employees;
               (2)  hold public hearings; and
               (3)  issue a subpoena to compel the attendance of a
  relevant witness or the production of relevant records or
  documents.
  SUBCHAPTER E. ADVISORY BOARD
         Sec. 512.201.  CREATION AND COMPOSITION OF ADVISORY BOARD.
  (a) An advisory board is created to advise the office in carrying
  out the office's duties under this chapter.
         (b)  The advisory board is composed of the following nine
  members appointed by the governor:
               (1)  one family member of an offender or a former
  offender;
               (2)  one health care professional;
               (3)  one social worker;
               (4)  one person with expertise in administrative or
  criminal investigations;
               (5)  one person with expertise in sexual assault victim
  advocacy;
               (6)  one person with expertise in occupational safety
  and health;
               (7)  one person with expertise in research and data
  analysis;
               (8)  one former offender; and
               (9)  one former correctional officer.
         (c)  The chair of each standing committee of the legislature
  having primary jurisdiction over the department and the primary
  author and sponsor of the legislation enacting this chapter, but
  only if the author or sponsor continues to be a member of the
  legislature, may provide the governor with recommendations on any
  appointment made under Subsection (b).
         (d)  Members of the advisory board serve staggered four-year
  terms.
         (e)  A person may not serve as a member of the advisory board
  for more than two terms.
         (f)  Chapter 2110 does not apply to the composition or
  duration of the advisory board.
         SECTION 2.  (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
  date of this Act, the governor shall appoint an initial ombudsman
  under Chapter 512, Government Code, as added by this Act, to a term
  expiring February 1, 2025.
         (b)  Not later than December 1, 2021, the governor shall
  appoint the members of the advisory board under Section 512.201,
  Government Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.