BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1437
	By: Bettencourt
	Criminal Justice
	7/22/2025
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The current process of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department's do-not-hire registry only includes certified officers. This poses a problem as this does not allow the agency to place an individual on the do-not-hire registry if they are a probation officer and engage in misconduct with a juvenile. In the current system, predators are able to move to a new job without employers being aware of their previous misconduct.

S.B. 1437 would close loopholes in the juvenile justice do-not-hire registry process. Through this bill, all of the entities that serve children and vulnerable adults in Texas who to have access to the interagency search engine will be able to be aware of these findings of misconduct.

S.B. 1437 amends current law relating to the eligibility of certain individuals for certification as certain juvenile officers or employees of a juvenile facility.

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 222.054, Human Resources Code, by adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsections (b), (c), and (d), as follows:

(a-1) Provides that Section 222.054 (Certification or Provisional Certification Ineligibility) applies to an individual who does not hold a certification under Chapter 222 (Standards for and Regulation of Certain Officers and Employees) and who is or was employed by, under contract with, or volunteering for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), a juvenile probation department, or a juvenile facility registered with TJJD.

(b) Authorizes TJJD, subject to Subsection (d), to designate as permanently ineligible for certification under this chapter an individual to whom this section applies if:

(1) while employed by, under contract with, or volunteering for an entity described by Subsection (a-1), the individual engaged, in conduct that violates this chapter or a TJJD rule or demonstrates the individual is not suitable for certification under this chapter; or

(2)� a panel under Subsection (c) determines the individual's certification would threaten juveniles in the juvenile justice system.

Deletes existing text requiring TJJD to designate as permanently ineligible for certification under this chapter an individual who has been terminated from employment with the department for engaging in certain conduct. Makes nonsubstantive changes to this subsection.

(c)� Authorizes the executive director of TJJD to convene, in person or telephonically, a panel of three Texas Juvenile Justice Board members to determine if the continued eligibility of an individual to whom this section applies, rather than if a former TJJD employee's continued eligibility, to obtain a certification under this chapter threatens juveniles in the juvenile justice system.

(d)� Entitles a person to a hearing before the State Office of Administrative Hearings if TJJD proposes to designate a person as permanently ineligible for certification as provided by Subsection (b).

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.