By: Ellis S.B. No. 2280
(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2009; March 31, 2009, read
first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
April 29, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 1; April 29, 2009,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2280 By: Seliger
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the Reentry Policy Council to review
corrections policies, programs, and procedures for inmates
released into the community.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
by adding Chapter 415 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 415. REENTRY POLICY COUNCIL
Sec. 415.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "council" means
the Reentry Policy Council.
Sec. 415.002. COUNCIL; COMPOSITION. (a) The Reentry
Policy Council is created.
(b) The council is composed of the following 37 members:
(1) the director of the criminal justice division of
the governor's office or the director's designee;
(2) the presiding officer of the Board of Pardons and
Paroles or the presiding officer's designee;
(3) the executive director of the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice or the executive director's designee;
(4) the director of the parole division of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice or the director's designee;
(5) the director of the community justice assistance
division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or the
director's designee;
(6) the director of the rehabilitation and reentry
programs division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or
the director's designee;
(7) the director of the Texas Correctional Office on
Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments or the director's
designee;
(8) the executive director of the Texas Workforce
Commission or the executive director's designee;
(9) the executive commissioner of the Texas Youth
Commission or the executive commissioner's designee;
(10) the executive director of the Texas Juvenile
Probation Commission or the executive director's designee;
(11) the chair of the Task Force on Indigent Defense or
the chair's designee;
(12) the chair of the Texas Judicial Council or the
chair's designee;
(13) the assistant commissioner for the mental health
and substance abuse services division of the Department of State
Health Services;
(14) the commissioner of the Department of Aging and
Disability Services or the commissioner's designee;
(15) the commissioner of education of the Texas
Education Agency or the commissioner's designee;
(16) the executive director of the Texas Department of
Licensing and Regulation or the executive director's designee;
(17) the executive director of the Department of
Family and Protective Services or the executive director's
designee;
(18) the executive director of the Texas Department of
Housing and Community Affairs or the executive director's designee;
(19) the executive director of the Council on Sex
Offender Treatment or the executive director's designee;
(20) the public safety director of the Department of
Public Safety or the director's designee;
(21) the director of the child support division of the
office of the attorney general or the director's designee;
(22) the executive director of the Sheriffs'
Association of Texas or the executive director's designee;
(23) the executive director of the Texas District and
County Attorneys Association or the executive director's designee;
(24) the executive director of the Texas Criminal
Defense Lawyers Association or the executive director's designee;
(25) the executive director of Texas RioGrande Legal
Aid or the executive director's designee;
(26) the executive director of the Restorative Justice
Ministries Network of Texas or the executive director's designee;
(27) the executive director of the Texas Conference of
Urban Counties or the executive director's designee;
(28) the executive director of the Deep East Texas
Council of Governments or the executive director's designee;
(29) the director of the City of Houston Department of
Health and Human Services or the director's designee;
(30) the presiding officer of the standing committee
of the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over
corrections issues or the presiding officer's designee;
(31) the presiding officer of the standing committee
of the senate with primary jurisdiction over corrections issues or
the presiding officer's designee;
(32) a representative of a nonprofit organization that
advocates for reducing obstacles to the reintegration of offenders
into the community following their release or discharge, appointed
by the governor;
(33) one public member who resides in Bexar County and
has experience working on reentry issues, appointed by the county
judge of Bexar County;
(34) one public member who resides in Dallas County
and has experience working on reentry issues, appointed by the
county judge of Dallas County;
(35) one public member who resides in El Paso County
and has experience working on reentry issues, appointed by the
county judge of El Paso County;
(36) one public member who resides in Tarrant County
and has experience working on reentry issues, appointed by the
county judge of Tarrant County; and
(37) one public member who resides in Travis County
and has experience working on reentry issues, appointed by the
county judge of Travis County.
Sec. 415.003. DUTIES; ANNUAL REPORT. (a) The council
shall:
(1) analyze the statutory and regulatory obstacles to,
and practices that impede, the reintegration of offenders into the
community following their release or discharge;
(2) examine methods of pooling resources and revenue
streams to reduce the rate of recidivism among offenders;
(3) identify best practices that have proven to be
effective in reentry support, treatment, and intervention intended
to reduce the harmful effects of an offender's confinement on the
offender's family and community;
(4) advise the governor and the director of the
criminal justice division of the governor's office on effective
reentry policies and programs that can be funded through federal,
state, and private grants; and
(5) perform any other duties required by the Second
Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. No. 110-199).
(b) Not later than September 1 of each year, the council
shall deliver a report of the council's findings and
recommendations to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
speaker of the house of representatives, and the standing
committees of the house of representatives and the senate with
primary jurisdiction over corrections matters.
Sec. 415.004. TENURE OF MEMBERS. (a) An appointed member
of the council serves a two-year term.
(b) A member who serves on the council by virtue of the
member's office serves on the council for the period during which
the member holds that office.
Sec. 415.005. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of
the council serves without compensation but, from funds
appropriated to the criminal justice division of the governor's
office, is entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of official council duties as
provided by Chapter 660.
Sec. 415.006. PRESIDING OFFICER. The council shall select
from among its members a presiding officer of the council.
Sec. 415.007. MEETINGS. The council shall meet at the call
of the presiding officer.
Sec. 415.008. TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE. The
criminal justice division of the governor's office shall provide
the council with resources for:
(1) data collection, research, and analysis; and
(2) publication of the council's findings and reports.
Sec. 415.009. GRANTS AND DONATIONS. The council may accept
grants and donations from public and private entities.
Sec. 415.010. CONSTRUCTION WITH OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110
does not apply to the council.
Sec. 415.011. SUNSET PROVISION; COUNCIL ABOLISHED. The
council is subject to Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act). Unless
continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the council is
abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2013.
SECTION 2. (a) Not later than the 60th day after the
effective date of this Act, the governor, the county judge of Bexar
County, the county judge of Dallas County, the county judge of El
Paso County, the county judge of Tarrant County, and the county
judge of Travis County shall make the appointments required by
Chapter 415, Government Code, as added by this Act.
(b) The Reentry Policy Council shall submit the first report
required by Section 415.003, Government Code, as added by this Act,
not later than September 1, 2010.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
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