|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to procedures related to juvenile justice proceedings; |
|
increasing the punishment for certain delinquent conduct. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Article 4.19(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) Notwithstanding the order of a juvenile court to detain |
|
a person under the age of 17 who has been certified to stand trial as |
|
an adult in a certified juvenile detention facility under Section |
|
54.02(h), Family Code, the judge of the criminal court having |
|
jurisdiction over the person may order the person to be transferred |
|
to an adult facility. A person under the age of 17 [child] who is |
|
transferred to an adult facility must be detained under conditions |
|
meeting the requirements of Section 51.12(f) [51.12], Family Code. |
|
SECTION 2. Sections 51.02(2) and (8-a), Family Code, are |
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
(2) "Child" means a person who is: |
|
(A) ten years of age or older and under 17 years |
|
of age; or |
|
(B) under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court, |
|
is seventeen years of age or older and under 19 [18] years of age, |
|
and [who] is alleged or found to have engaged in delinquent conduct |
|
or conduct indicating a need for supervision as a result of acts |
|
committed before becoming 17 years of age. |
|
(8-a) "Nonsecure correctional facility" means any |
|
public or private residential [a] facility, other than a secure |
|
detention or correctional facility, that only accepts juveniles |
|
who: |
|
(A) are on probation; |
|
(B) have been detained in compliance with Section |
|
53.02, 54.01, or 54.011; or |
|
(C) have been placed at the facility as a |
|
condition of court-ordered deferred adjudication or prosecution |
|
under Section 53.03 [described by Section 51.126]. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 51.12, Family Code, is amended by adding |
|
Subsection (g-1) to read as follows: |
|
(g-1) Subsection (g) does not apply to a person under 17 |
|
years of age who: |
|
(1) has been transferred to a criminal court for |
|
prosecution under Section 54.02; and |
|
(2) is detained in an adult jail or lockup pending |
|
trial. |
|
SECTION 4. Sections 52.0151(b) and (c), Family Code, are |
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
(b) The court may order that the person who is the witness be |
|
detained in a certified juvenile detention facility [if the person
|
|
is younger than 17 years of age]. If the person is at least 17 years |
|
of age and in the custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department |
|
or a post-adjudication secure correctional facility operated under |
|
Section 152.0016, Human Resources Code, as added by Chapter 1323 |
|
(S.B. 511), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, |
|
the court may order that the person be detained without bond in an |
|
appropriate county facility for the detention of adults accused of |
|
criminal offenses. |
|
(c) A witness held in custody under this section may be |
|
placed in a certified juvenile detention facility or a county |
|
facility for a period not to exceed 30 days. The length of placement |
|
may be extended in 30-day increments by the court that issued the |
|
original bench warrant. If the placement is not extended, the |
|
period under this section expires and the witness shall [may] be |
|
returned as provided by Subsection (a). |
|
SECTION 5. Section 53.045(a), Family Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (e), the prosecuting |
|
attorney may refer the petition to the grand jury of the county in |
|
which the court in which the petition is filed presides if the |
|
petition alleges that the child engaged in delinquent conduct that |
|
constitutes habitual felony conduct as described by Section 51.031 |
|
or that included the violation of any of the following provisions: |
|
(1) Section 19.02, Penal Code (murder); |
|
(2) Section 19.03, Penal Code (capital murder); |
|
(3) Section 19.04, Penal Code (manslaughter); |
|
(4) Section 20.04, Penal Code (aggravated |
|
kidnapping); |
|
(5) Section 22.011, Penal Code (sexual assault) or |
|
Section 22.021, Penal Code (aggravated sexual assault); |
|
(6) Section 22.02, Penal Code (aggravated assault); |
|
(7) Section 29.03, Penal Code (aggravated robbery); |
|
(8) Section 22.04, Penal Code (injury to a child, |
|
elderly individual, or disabled individual), if the offense is |
|
punishable as a felony, other than a state jail felony; |
|
(9) Section 22.05(b), Penal Code (felony deadly |
|
conduct involving discharging a firearm); |
|
(10) Subchapter D, Chapter 481, Health and Safety |
|
Code, if the conduct constitutes a felony of the first degree or an |
|
aggravated controlled substance felony (certain offenses involving |
|
controlled substances); |
|
(11) Section 15.03, Penal Code (criminal |
|
solicitation); |
|
(12) Section 21.11(a)(1), Penal Code (indecency with a |
|
child); |
|
(13) Section 15.031, Penal Code (criminal |
|
solicitation of a minor); |
|
(14) Section 15.01, Penal Code (criminal attempt), if |
|
the offense attempted was an offense under Section 19.02, Penal |
|
Code (murder), or Section 19.03, Penal Code (capital murder), or an |
|
offense listed by Section 3g(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal |
|
Procedure; |
|
(15) Section 28.02, Penal Code (arson), if bodily |
|
injury or death is suffered by any person by reason of the |
|
commission of the conduct; |
|
(16) Section 49.08, Penal Code (intoxication |
|
manslaughter); [or] |
|
(17) Section 30.02, Penal Code (burglary), if the |
|
offense is punishable under Section 30.02(d), Penal Code, and the |
|
actor committed the offense with intent to commit a felony under |
|
Section 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, or 22.02, Penal Code; or |
|
(18) Section 15.02, Penal Code (criminal conspiracy), |
|
if the offense made the subject of the criminal conspiracy includes |
|
a violation of any of the provisions referenced in Subdivisions (1) |
|
through (17) [(16)]. |
|
SECTION 6. Section 54.04(d), Family Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(d) If the court or jury makes the finding specified in |
|
Subsection (c) allowing the court to make a disposition in the case: |
|
(1) the court or jury may, in addition to any order |
|
required or authorized under Section 54.041 or 54.042, place the |
|
child on probation on such reasonable and lawful terms as the court |
|
may determine: |
|
(A) in the child's own home or in the custody of a |
|
relative or other fit person; or |
|
(B) subject to the finding under Subsection (c) |
|
on the placement of the child outside the child's home, in: |
|
(i) a suitable foster home; |
|
(ii) a suitable public or private |
|
residential treatment facility licensed by a state governmental |
|
entity or exempted from licensure by state law, except a facility |
|
operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; [or] |
|
(iii) a suitable public or private |
|
post-adjudication secure correctional facility that meets the |
|
requirements of Section 51.125, except a facility operated by the |
|
Texas Juvenile Justice Department; or |
|
(iv) a suitable public or private nonsecure |
|
correctional facility that meets the requirements of Section |
|
51.126, other than a nonsecure facility operated by the Texas |
|
Juvenile Justice Department; |
|
(2) if the court or jury found at the conclusion of the |
|
adjudication hearing that the child engaged in delinquent conduct |
|
that violates a penal law of this state or the United States of the |
|
grade of felony and if the petition was not approved by the grand |
|
jury under Section 53.045, the court may commit the child to the |
|
Texas Juvenile Justice Department or a post-adjudication secure |
|
correctional facility under Section 54.04011(c)(1) without a |
|
determinate sentence; |
|
(3) if the court or jury found at the conclusion of the |
|
adjudication hearing that the child engaged in delinquent conduct |
|
that included a violation of a penal law listed in Section 53.045(a) |
|
and if the petition was approved by the grand jury under Section |
|
53.045, the court or jury may sentence the child to commitment in |
|
the Texas Juvenile Justice Department or a post-adjudication secure |
|
correctional facility under Section 54.04011(c)(2) with a possible |
|
transfer to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a term of: |
|
(A) not more than 40 years if the conduct |
|
constitutes: |
|
(i) a capital felony; |
|
(ii) a felony of the first degree; or |
|
(iii) an aggravated controlled substance |
|
felony; |
|
(B) not more than 20 years if the conduct |
|
constitutes a felony of the second degree; or |
|
(C) not more than 10 years if the conduct |
|
constitutes a felony of the third degree; |
|
(4) the court may assign the child an appropriate |
|
sanction level and sanctions as provided by the assignment |
|
guidelines in Section 59.003; or |
|
(5) [the court may place the child in a suitable
|
|
nonsecure correctional facility that is registered and meets the
|
|
applicable standards for the facility as provided by Section
|
|
51.126; or
|
|
[(6)] if applicable, the court or jury may make a |
|
disposition under Subsection (m) or Section 54.04011(c)(2)(A). |
|
SECTION 7. Section 58.003(b), Family Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(b) A court may not order the sealing of the records of a |
|
person who has received a determinate sentence for engaging in |
|
delinquent conduct that violated a penal law listed in Section |
|
53.045 or engaging in habitual felony conduct as described by |
|
Section 51.031 if the person has been transferred to: |
|
(1) a district court under Section 54.051; or |
|
(2) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under |
|
Section 54.11 or under Section 245.151(e), Human Resources Code. |
|
SECTION 8. Section 58.0071, Family Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: |
|
(g) Notwithstanding Subsection (f), Subsection (d) applies |
|
to the destruction of physical records and files in a juvenile case, |
|
without regard to whether the physical records or files were |
|
created before, on, or after September 1, 2001. |
|
SECTION 9. Section 58.204(b), Family Code, as amended by |
|
Chapters 871 (H.B. 694) and 1299 (H.B. 2862), Acts of the 83rd |
|
Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, is reenacted and amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(b) On certification of records in a case under Section |
|
58.203, the department may permit access to the information in the |
|
juvenile justice information system relating to the case of an |
|
individual only: |
|
(1) by a criminal justice agency for a criminal |
|
justice purpose, as those terms are defined by Section 411.082, |
|
Government Code; |
|
(2) for research purposes, by the Texas Juvenile |
|
Justice Department; |
|
(3) by the person who is the subject of the records on |
|
an order from the juvenile court granting the petition filed by or |
|
on behalf of the person who is the subject of the records; |
|
(4) with the permission of the juvenile court at the |
|
request of the person who is the subject of the records; [or] |
|
(5) with the permission of the juvenile court, by a |
|
party to a civil suit if the person who is the subject of the records |
|
has put facts relating to the person's records at issue in the suit; |
|
or |
|
(6) [(3)] with the written permission of the |
|
individual, by military personnel, including a recruiter, of this |
|
state or the United States if the individual is an applicant for |
|
enlistment in the armed forces. |
|
SECTION 10. Section 58.207, Family Code, is amended to read |
|
as follows: |
|
Sec. 58.207. NOTICE OF [JUVENILE COURT ORDERS ON] |
|
CERTIFICATION. (a) On receipt of a certification of records in a |
|
case under Section 58.203, the juvenile probation department |
|
[court] shall notify all appropriate entities [order:
|
|
[(1)] that the following records relating to the case |
|
may be accessed only as provided by Section 58.204(b): |
|
(1) [(A)] if the respondent was committed to the Texas |
|
Juvenile Justice Department, records maintained by the department; |
|
(2) [(B)] records maintained by the juvenile |
|
probation department; |
|
(3) [(C)] records maintained by the clerk of the |
|
court; |
|
(4) [(D)] records maintained by the prosecutor's |
|
office; and |
|
(5) [(E)] records maintained by a law enforcement |
|
agency. [; and] |
|
(a-1) The [(2) the] juvenile probation department shall |
|
[to] make a reasonable effort to notify the person who is the |
|
subject of records for which access has been restricted of the |
|
action restricting access and the legal significance of the action |
|
for the person, but only if the person has requested the |
|
notification in writing and has provided the juvenile probation |
|
department with a current address. |
|
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), on receipt of a |
|
notice [an order] under Subsection (a) [(a)(1)], the agency |
|
maintaining the records: |
|
(1) may allow access only as provided by Section |
|
58.204(b); and |
|
(2) shall respond to a request for information about |
|
the records by stating that the records do not exist. |
|
[(c)
Notwithstanding Subsection (b) of this section and
|
|
Section 58.206(b), with the written permission of the subject of
|
|
the records, an agency under Subsection (a)(1) may allow military
|
|
personnel, including a recruiter, of this state or the United
|
|
States to access juvenile records in the same manner authorized by
|
|
law for records to which access has not been restricted under this
|
|
section.] |
|
(c) Subsection (b) does not apply if: |
|
(1) the subject of the records [an order issued under
|
|
Subsection (a)(1)] is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court |
|
or the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; or |
|
(2) the agency has received notice that the records |
|
are not subject to restricted access under Section 58.211. |
|
(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (b) and Section 58.206(b), |
|
with the permission of the subject of the records, an agency listed |
|
in Subsection (a) [(a)(1)] may permit the state military forces or |
|
the United States military forces to have access to juvenile |
|
records held by that agency. On receipt of a request from the state |
|
military forces or the United States military forces, an agency may |
|
provide access to juvenile records held by that agency in the same |
|
manner authorized by law for records that have not been restricted |
|
under Subsection (a). |
|
SECTION 11. Section 61.0031(d), Family Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(d) The juvenile court to which the order has been |
|
transferred shall require the parent or other eligible person to |
|
appear before the court to notify the parent or other eligible |
|
person of the existence and terms of the order, unless the parent or |
|
other eligible person [permanent supervision hearing under Section
|
|
51.073(c)] has [been] waived, in writing, the right to |
|
appear. Failure to do so renders the order unenforceable. |
|
SECTION 12. Section 261.401, Family Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
|
(e) In this section, for purposes of an investigation |
|
conducted by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, "child" means |
|
an individual who is: |
|
(1) 10 years of age or older and younger than 19 years |
|
of age; and |
|
(2) committed to the department under Title 3. |
|
SECTION 13. Section 261.405, Family Code, as amended by |
|
S.B. 219, Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, is |
|
amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (e) to read as |
|
follows: |
|
(a) In this section: |
|
(1) "Child" means a person who is: |
|
(A) 10 years of age or older and younger than 19 |
|
years of age; and |
|
(B) under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court. |
|
(2) "Juvenile justice facility" means a facility |
|
operated wholly or partly by the juvenile board, by another |
|
governmental unit, or by a private vendor under a contract with the |
|
juvenile board, county, or other governmental unit that serves |
|
juveniles under juvenile court jurisdiction. The term includes: |
|
(A) a public or private juvenile |
|
pre-adjudication secure detention facility, including a holdover |
|
facility; |
|
(B) a public or private juvenile |
|
post-adjudication secure correctional facility except for a |
|
facility operated solely for children committed to the Texas |
|
Juvenile Justice Department; and |
|
(C) a public or private nonsecure [non-secure] |
|
juvenile post-adjudication residential treatment facility that is |
|
not licensed by the Department of Family and Protective Services or |
|
the Department of State Health Services. |
|
(3) [(2)] "Juvenile justice program" means a program |
|
or department operated wholly or partly by the juvenile board or by |
|
a private vendor under a contract with a juvenile board that serves |
|
juveniles under juvenile court jurisdiction. The term includes: |
|
(A) a juvenile justice alternative education |
|
program; |
|
(B) a non-residential program that serves |
|
juvenile offenders under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court; |
|
and |
|
(C) a juvenile probation department. |
|
(b) A report of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation in |
|
any juvenile justice program or facility shall be made to the Texas |
|
Juvenile Justice Department [Probation Commission] and a local law |
|
enforcement agency for investigation. |
|
(c) The Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Probation
|
|
Commission] shall conduct an investigation as provided by this |
|
chapter if the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [commission] |
|
receives a report of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation in any |
|
juvenile justice program or facility. |
|
(e) As soon as practicable after a child is taken into |
|
custody or placed in a juvenile justice facility or juvenile |
|
justice program, the facility or program shall provide the child's |
|
parents with: |
|
(1) information regarding the reporting of suspected |
|
abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child in a juvenile justice |
|
facility or juvenile justice program to the Texas Juvenile Justice |
|
Department [Probation Commission]; and |
|
(2) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department's |
|
[commission's] toll-free number for this reporting. |
|
SECTION 14. Subchapter A, Chapter 152, Human Resources |
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 152.0018 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 152.0018. COORDINATION OF SERVICES FOR JUVENILES IN |
|
CONSERVATORSHIP. A juvenile board or local juvenile probation |
|
department and the Department of Family and Protective Services |
|
shall plan and coordinate services for a child who is in the |
|
conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services |
|
and subject to proceedings under Title 3, Family Code, including |
|
services for a child who is: |
|
(1) released from detention under conditions provided |
|
under Section 53.02(a), Family Code; |
|
(2) released from detention under conditions provided |
|
under Section 54.01(f), Family Code, after a hearing conducted |
|
under Section 54.01, Family Code; |
|
(3) detained as a result of a hearing conducted under |
|
Section 54.01, Family Code; |
|
(4) placed in a secure correctional facility, |
|
nonsecure correctional facility, or other placement, including a |
|
placement that qualifies for funding under Title IV-E, Social |
|
Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 670 et seq.), by a juvenile court as |
|
a condition of probation under Section 54.04(d), Family Code; or |
|
(5) placed on probation under Section 54.04, Family |
|
Code, and released to the custody of the Department of Family and |
|
Protective Services. |
|
SECTION 15. Section 201.001(a)(2), Human Resources Code, is |
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
(2) "Child" means an individual: |
|
(A) 10 years of age or older and younger than 19 |
|
[18] years of age who is under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court; |
|
or |
|
(B) 10 years of age or older and younger than 19 |
|
years of age who is committed to the department under Title 3, |
|
Family Code. |
|
SECTION 16. Section 58.002(b), Family Code, is repealed. |
|
SECTION 17. Section 53.045(a), Family Code, as amended by |
|
this Act, applies only to conduct violating a penal law that occurs |
|
on or after the effective date of this Act. Conduct violating a |
|
penal law that occurs before the effective date of this Act is |
|
governed by the law in effect when the conduct occurred, and the |
|
former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
|
this section, conduct occurs before the effective date of this Act |
|
if any element of the conduct occurs before the effective date. |
|
SECTION 18. The changes in law made by the following |
|
provisions of the Family Code apply to any records or files relating |
|
to any offense committed or conduct that occurred before, on, or |
|
after the effective date of this Act: |
|
(1) Section 58.003(b), as amended by this Act; |
|
(2) Section 58.0071(g), as added by this Act; |
|
(3) Section 58.204(b), as amended by Chapters 871 |
|
(H.B. 694) and 1299 (H.B. 2862), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, |
|
Regular Session, 2013, as reenacted and amended by this Act; and |
|
(4) Section 58.207, as amended by this Act. |
|
SECTION 19. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails |
|
over another Act of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, |
|
relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted |
|
codes. |
|
SECTION 20. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |