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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of an advisory committee to study issues |
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related to community supervision and corrections departments. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of |
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Criminal Justice. |
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(2) "Division" means the community justice assistance |
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division of the department. |
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SECTION 2. ADVISORY COMMITTEE; DUTIES. Not later than |
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December 1, 2015, the department shall appoint an advisory |
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committee to: |
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(1) study: |
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(A) the funding mechanisms for community |
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supervision and corrections departments established under Chapter |
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76, Government Code; |
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(B) the efficacy of current grant funding |
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formulas for purposes of meeting public safety needs; and |
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(C) the process by which the division makes the |
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determination to allocate grant funding to community supervision |
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and corrections departments; |
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(2) review problems facing community supervision and |
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corrections departments, specifically pertaining to the adequacy |
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of funding and whether state grant funding allocations fail to |
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maximize available grant funds intended to decrease community |
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supervision revocations; and |
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(3) provide recommendations relating to: |
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(A) streamlining the division's grant |
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application process; |
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(B) increasing the equitable distribution of |
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grant funds, with a particular emphasis on meeting the needs of |
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historically underserved communities; |
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(C) developing community supervision strategies |
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that result in decreased community supervision revocations; and |
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(D) decreasing community supervision and |
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corrections department reliance on fees paid by defendants on |
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community supervision to fund basic operations. |
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SECTION 3. APPOINTMENTS; PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) The |
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department shall determine the size and composition of the advisory |
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board. The advisory board must include: |
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(1) representatives of the department; |
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(2) representatives of community supervision and |
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corrections departments established under Chapter 76, Government |
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Code, who represent small, medium, and large jurisdictions with |
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experience in decreasing community supervision revocations; |
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(3) a diverse range of community supervision and |
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corrections department directors with knowledge of existing |
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disparities in funding and grant awards; |
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(4) district or county attorneys; |
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(5) criminal defense attorneys; |
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(6) representatives of criminal justice reform |
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organizations; |
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(7) judges who have demonstrated a deep understanding |
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of evidence-based practices in community supervision and the effect |
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of those practices on community safety and the use of taxpayer |
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funds; |
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(8) individuals with expertise in issues related to |
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substance abuse, mental health, or post-traumatic stress disorder; |
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(9) individuals who have successfully completed |
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community supervision; and |
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(10) any other individuals or representatives of |
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organizations the department determines would be of assistance in |
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addressing the problems facing community supervision and |
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corrections departments. |
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(b) The advisory committee shall elect one of its members as |
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the presiding officer of the committee. |
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SECTION 4. REPORT. (a) Not later than September 1, 2016, |
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the advisory committee shall submit a report containing the |
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recommendations developed under Section 2 of this Act to: |
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(1) the department and the division; |
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(2) the governor; |
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(3) the lieutenant governor; |
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(4) the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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(5) the standing committees in the senate and house of |
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representatives primarily responsible for criminal justice issues. |
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(b) The department shall make the report submitted under |
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Subsection (a) of this section available to the public and shall |
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publish the report on its Internet website. |
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SECTION 5. COMPENSATION. Members of the advisory committee |
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serve without compensation and are not entitled to reimbursement |
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for expenses. |
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SECTION 6. APPLICATION OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110, |
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Government Code, does not apply to the advisory committee. |
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SECTION 7. EXPIRATION DATE. The advisory committee is |
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abolished and this Act expires January 1, 2017. |
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SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |