BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 778
88R2818 CJD-D	By: Kolkhorst
	Finance
	4/6/2023
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

In June of 2022, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) sent notice to all juvenile probation departments in the state that the agency was temporarily halting intakes of juveniles committed to TJJD. The agency cited ongoing staffing issues and reported that they would be attempting to make room for 130 youth already committed to TJJD housed in county facilities. Since 2022, a number of juvenile probation departments that do not have pre-adjudication detention facilities have been financially burdened with how best to house these committed youth who are waiting for transfer to TJJD. Many of these departments have been forced to contract with departments that do have detention facilities and in some instances. In an effort to provide relief to these juvenile probation departments, S.B. 778 requires TJJD to reimburse them for the cost per day of housing youth committed to TJJD who have not yet been transferred.

As proposed, S.B. 778 amends current law relating to the reimbursement by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department of the costs incurred by counties for housing certain children.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department in SECTION 1 (Section 223.001, Human Resources Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 223.001, Human Resources Code, by adding Subsection (d-1), as follows:

(d-1) Requires the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to reimburse a county that does not have a juvenile detention facility for the cost per day of housing children who have been committed to TJJD but have not yet been admitted or transferred to TJJD. Requires TJJD by rule to establish application and eligibility requirements for a county to receive reimbursement under this subsection.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2023.