By: West  S.B. No. 393
         (In the Senate - Filed February 5, 2013; February 13, 2013,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;
  March 28, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; March 28, 2013,
  sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 393 By:  West
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the prosecution of children accused of certain Class C
  misdemeanors.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsections (a) and (c), Article 45.056, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  On approval of the commissioners court, city council,
  school district board of trustees, juvenile board, or other
  appropriate authority, a county court, justice court, municipal
  court, school district, juvenile probation department, or other
  appropriate governmental entity may:
               (1)  employ a case manager to provide services in cases
  involving juvenile offenders who are before a court consistent with
  the court's statutory powers or referred to a court by a school
  administrator or designee for misconduct that would otherwise be
  within the court's statutory powers prior to a case being filed,
  with the consent of the juvenile and the juvenile's parents or
  guardians; or
               (2)  agree in accordance with Chapter 791, Government
  Code, to jointly employ a case manager.
         (c)  A county or justice court on approval of the
  commissioners court or a municipality or municipal court on
  approval of the city council may employ one or more juvenile case
  managers who:
               (1)  shall [to] assist the court in administering the
  court's juvenile docket and in supervising its court orders in
  juvenile cases; and
               (2)  may provide:
                     (A)  prevention services to a child considered
  at-risk of entering the juvenile justice system; and
                     (B)  intervention services to juveniles engaged
  in misconduct prior to cases being filed, excluding traffic
  offenses.
         SECTION 2.  Section 25.0915, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  A court shall dismiss a complaint or referral made by a
  school district under this section that is not made in compliance
  with Subsection (b).
         SECTION 3.  Subsection (b), Section 37.081, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  In a peace officer's jurisdiction, a peace officer
  commissioned under this section:
               (1)  has the powers, privileges, and immunities of
  peace officers;
               (2)  may enforce all laws, including municipal
  ordinances, county ordinances, and state laws; [and]
               (3)  may, in accordance with Chapter 52, Family Code,
  take a juvenile into custody; and
               (4)  may dispose of cases in accordance with Section
  52.03 or 52.031, Family Code.
         SECTION 4.  Chapter 37, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter E-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER E-1.  CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
         Sec. 37.141.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Child" has the meaning assigned by Article
  45.058(h), Code of Criminal Procedure, except that the person must
  also be a student.
               (2)  "School offense" means an offense committed by a
  child enrolled in a public school that is a Class C misdemeanor
  other than a traffic offense, that is committed on property under
  the control and jurisdiction of a school district.
         Sec. 37.142.  CONFLICT OF LAW. To the extent of any
  conflict, this subchapter controls over any other law applied to a
  school offense alleged to have been committed by a child.
         Sec. 37.143.  CITATION PROHIBITED; CUSTODY OF CHILD. (a)  A
  peace officer may not issue a citation to a child who is alleged to
  have committed a school offense.
         (b)  This subchapter does not prohibit a child from being
  taken into custody under Section 52.01, Family Code.
         Sec. 37.144.  GRADUATED SANCTIONS FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL
  OFFENSES. (a)  A school district that commissions peace officers
  under Section 37.081 shall develop a system of graduated sanctions
  that must be imposed on a child before a complaint is filed under
  Section 37.145 against the child for a school offense that is an
  offense under Section 37.124 or 37.126 or under Section 42.01,
  Penal Code. A system adopted under this section must include
  multiple graduated sanctions.  The system must require:
               (1)  a warning letter to be issued to the child and the
  child's parent or guardian that specifically states the child's
  alleged school offense and explains the consequences if the child
  engages in additional misconduct;
               (2)  a behavior contract with the child that must be
  signed by the child, the child's parent or guardian, and an employee
  of the school and that includes a specific description of the
  behavior that is required or prohibited for the child and the
  penalties for additional alleged school offenses, including
  additional disciplinary action or the filing of a complaint in a
  criminal court;
               (3)  the performance of school-based community service
  by the child; and
               (4)  the referral of the child to counseling,
  community-based services, or other in-school or out-of-school
  services aimed at addressing the child's behavioral problems.
         (b)  A referral made under Subsection (a)(4) may include
  participation by the child's parent or guardian if necessary.
         Sec. 37.145.  COMPLAINT. If a child fails to comply with or
  complete graduated sanctions under Section 37.144, the school may
  file a complaint against the child with a criminal court in
  accordance with Section 37.146.
         Sec. 37.146.  REQUISITES OF COMPLAINT. (a)  A complaint
  alleging the commission of a school offense must, in addition to the
  requirements imposed by Article 45.019, Code of Criminal Procedure:
               (1)  be sworn to by a person who has personal knowledge
  of the underlying facts giving rise to probable cause to believe
  that an offense has been committed; and
               (2)  be accompanied by a statement from a school
  employee stating:
                     (A)  whether the child is eligible for or receives
  special services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29; and
                     (B)  the graduated sanctions, if required under
  Section 37.144, that were imposed on the child before the complaint
  was filed.
         (b)  After a complaint has been filed under this subchapter,
  a summons may be issued under Articles 23.04 and 45.057(e), Code of
  Criminal Procedure.
         Sec. 37.147.  PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS. An attorney
  representing the state in a court with jurisdiction may adopt rules
  pertaining to the filing of a complaint under this subchapter that
  the state considers necessary in order to:
               (1)  determine whether there is probable cause to
  believe that the child committed the alleged offense;
               (2)  review the circumstances and allegations in the
  complaint for legal sufficiency; and
               (3)  see that justice is done.
         SECTION 5.  The heading to Chapter 52, Family Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 52.  PROCEEDINGS BEFORE AND INCLUDING REFERRAL TO
  [JUVENILE] COURT
         SECTION 6.  Subsection (a), Section 52.03, Family Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A law-enforcement officer authorized by this title to
  take a child into custody may dispose of the case of a child taken
  into custody or accused of a Class C misdemeanor, other than a
  traffic offense, without referral to juvenile court or charging a
  child in a court of competent criminal jurisdiction, if:
               (1)  guidelines for such disposition have been adopted
  by the juvenile board of the county in which the disposition is made
  as required by Section 52.032;
               (2)  the disposition is authorized by the guidelines;
  and
               (3)  the officer makes a written report of the officer's
  disposition to the law-enforcement agency, identifying the child
  and specifying the grounds for believing that the taking into
  custody or accusation of criminal conduct was authorized.
         SECTION 7.  Subsections (a), (d), (f), (i), and (j), Section
  52.031, Family Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A juvenile board may establish a first offender program
  under this section for the referral and disposition of children
  taken into custody, or accused prior to the filing of a criminal
  charge, of [for]:
               (1)  conduct indicating a need for supervision; [or]
               (2)  a Class C misdemeanor, other than a traffic
  offense; or
               (3)  delinquent conduct other than conduct that
  constitutes:
                     (A)  a felony of the first, second, or third
  degree, an aggravated controlled substance felony, or a capital
  felony; or
                     (B)  a state jail felony or misdemeanor involving
  violence to a person or the use or possession of a firearm, illegal
  knife, or club, as those terms are defined by Section 46.01, Penal
  Code, or a prohibited weapon, as described by Section 46.05, Penal
  Code.
         (d)  A law enforcement officer taking a child into custody or
  accusing a child of an offense described in Subsection (a)(2) may
  refer the child to the law enforcement officer or agency designated
  under Subsection (b) for disposition under the first offender
  program and not refer the child to juvenile court or a court of
  competent criminal jurisdiction only if:
               (1)  the child has not previously been adjudicated as
  having engaged in delinquent conduct;
               (2)  the referral complies with guidelines for
  disposition under Subsection (c); and
               (3)  the officer reports in writing the referral to the
  agency, identifying the child and specifying the grounds for taking
  the child into custody or accusing the child of an offense described
  in Subsection (a)(2).
         (f)  The parent, guardian, or other custodian of the child
  must receive notice that the child has been referred for
  disposition under the first offender program. The notice must:
               (1)  state the grounds for taking the child into
  custody or accusing the child of an offense described in Subsection
  (a)(2);
               (2)  identify the law enforcement officer or agency to
  which the child was referred;
               (3)  briefly describe the nature of the program; and
               (4)  state that the child's failure to complete the
  program will result in the child being referred to the juvenile
  court or a court of competent criminal jurisdiction.
         (i)  The case of a child who successfully completes the first
  offender program is closed and may not be referred to juvenile court
  or a court of competent criminal jurisdiction, unless the child is
  taken into custody under circumstances described by Subsection
  (j)(3).
         (j)  The case of a child referred for disposition under the
  first offender program shall be referred to juvenile court or a
  court of competent criminal jurisdiction if:
               (1)  the child fails to complete the program;
               (2)  the child or the parent, guardian, or other
  custodian of the child terminates the child's participation in the
  program before the child completes it; or
               (3)  the child completes the program but is taken into
  custody under Section 52.01 before the 90th day after the date the
  child completes the program for conduct other than the conduct for
  which the child was referred to the first offender program.
         SECTION 8.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An
  offense committed before the effective date of this Act is covered
  by the law in effect at the time the offense was committed, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For the
  purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the
  effective date of this Act if any element of the offense was
  committed before that date.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
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