Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2107 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R2772 JSC-D
2	2	By: Uresti S.B. No. 2107
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the qualifications of juvenile probation officers in
8	8	certain counties.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Sections 141.061(a) and (b), Human Resources
11	11	Code, are amended to read as follows:
12	12	(a) To be eligible for appointment as a probation officer, a
13	13	person who was not employed as a probation officer before September
14	14	1, 1981, must:
15	15	(1) be of good moral character;
16	16	(2) have acquired a bachelor's degree conferred by a
17	17	college or university accredited by an accrediting organization
18	18	recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
19	19	(3) have either:
20	20	(A) one year of graduate study in criminology,
21	21	corrections, counseling, law, social work, psychology, sociology,
22	22	or other field of instruction approved by the commission; or
23	23	(B) except as provided by Section 141.0612(c),
24	24	one year of experience in full-time case work, counseling, or
25	25	community or group work:
26	26	(i) in a social service, community,
27	27	corrections, or juvenile agency that deals with offenders or
28	28	disadvantaged persons; and
29	29	(ii) that the commission determines
30	30	provides the kind of experience necessary to meet this requirement;
31	31	(4) have satisfactorily completed the course of
32	32	preservice training or instruction required by the commission;
33	33	(5) have passed the tests or examinations required by
34	34	the commission; and
35	35	(6) possess the level of certification required by the
36	36	commission.
37	37	(b) The commission by rule may authorize the waiver of the
38	38	requirement of a year of graduate study or full-time employment
39	39	experience under Subsection (a)(3) and Section 141.0612(c), if
40	40	applicable, if the authority responsible for employing the officer
41	41	establishes to the satisfaction of the commission that after a
42	42	diligent search the authority cannot locate a person meeting that
43	43	requirement to fill a job opening.
44	44	SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 141, Human Resources Code,
45	45	is amended by adding Section 141.0612 to read as follows:
46	46	Sec. 141.0612. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR PROBATION OFFICERS IN
47	47	COUNTIES WITH POPULATION OF 50,000 OR LESS. (a) This section
48	48	applies only to an authority that employs a probation officer in a
49	49	county with a population of 50,000 or less.
50	50	(b) The commission by rule may authorize the waiver of the
51	51	requirement of a bachelor's degree under Section 141.061(a)(2) if
52	52	the authority responsible for employing a probation officer
53	53	establishes to the satisfaction of the commission that after a
54	54	diligent search the authority cannot locate a person meeting that
55	55	requirement to fill the job opening. A person may not be appointed
56	56	as a probation officer if the person does not have a bachelor's
57	57	degree and does not have the required experience under Subsection
58	58	(c) and Section 141.061(a)(3)(B), even if the commission has
59	59	authorized waivers under both this section and Section 141.061(b).
60	60	(c) A person who does not have the experience described by
61	61	Section 141.061(a)(3)(B) may substitute one year of experience in
62	62	full-time case work, counseling, or community group work:
63	63	(1) in a juvenile facility or as a peace officer with
64	64	occasional involvement with juveniles; and
65	65	(2) that the commission determines provides the kind
66	66	of experience necessary to meet this requirement.
67	67	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
68	68	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
69	69	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
70	70	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
71	71	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.