BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 4263
89R15483 CJD-F	By: Cook (Perry)
	Criminal Justice
	5/16/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), in its agency strategic plan, has identified several statutory barriers that limit its ability to manage personnel effectively and maintain safe, well-staffed facilities. Some of the issues identified in this plan include the ability for juvenile correctional officers to receive compensation for unused vacation leave, the makeup of the release review panel, and the statutory requirement for independent dismissal mediation. H.B. 4263 seeks to address these issues by revising applicable statutory provisions to give TJJD greater operational flexibility and to improve workforce retention and decision-making processes.

H.B. 4263 amends current law relating to the employment practices of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and to the eligibility of a person to be appointed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department's release review panel and the authority of a panel member.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 242.004(c), Human Resources Code, to require the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to establish procedures and practices governing certain matters, including grievances challenging disciplinary termination of employment, rather than disciplinary actions within TJJD, including a procedure allowing a TJJD employee to elect to participate in an independent dismissal mediation if the employee is recommended for dismissal.

SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 242, Human Resources Code, by adding Section 242.012, as follows:

Sec. 242.012. PAYMENT FOR VACATION LEAVE FOR JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. (a) Defines "juvenile correction officer."

(b) Authorizes TJJD to adopt a policy allowing juvenile correctional officers, one time during a fiscal year, to elect to receive a lump-sum payment for the officer's accumulated vacation leave in lieu of taking the leave.

(c) Prohibits the number of hours of accumulated vacation leave for which a juvenile correctional officer is authorized to be paid under a policy authorized by this section from exceeding all of the officer's accumulated vacation leave or 40 hours of accumulated vacation leave, whichever is less.

(d) Requires TJJD, if TJJD pays a juvenile correctional officer for the officer's accumulated vacation leave under a policy authorized by this section, to compute the amount of the payment by multiplying the officer's hourly rate of compensation on the date the officer notifies TJJD of an election by the number of hours of accumulated vacation leave for which the officer elects to be paid and, on making the payment, deduct the number of hours for which the officer received payment from the officer's accumulated vacation leave balance.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 245.101(c), Human Resources Code, as follows:

(c) Prohibits a member of the panel found to review and determine whether a child who has completed the child's minimum length of stay should be discharged from the custody of TJJD from being involved in any determination under Chapter 245 (Release) concerning a child, rather than supervisory determinations concerning children, in the custody of TJJD for whom that panel member has made a supervisory decision. Deletes existing text requiring a person appointed to the panel to be a TJJD employee who works at TJJD's central office.

SECTION 4. Requires TJJD, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to establish the procedures and practices required by Section 242.004(c), Human Resources Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 2025.