83R4362 JRR-D
By: Carona S.B. No. 1003
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the Adult and Juvenile Administrative
Segregation Task Force.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. ADULT AND JUVENILE ADMINISTRATIVE SEGREGATION
TASK FORCE. (a) In this Act:
(1) "Facility" means:
(A) a facility operated by or under contract with
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
(B) a facility operated by a county, a
municipality, or a private vendor for the confinement of a person
arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a criminal offense; or
(C) a public or private juvenile secure detention
facility.
(2) "Inmate" means a person arrested for, charged
with, or convicted of a criminal offense of this state or another
state of the United States and confined in any facility in this
state.
(3) "Task force" means the Adult and Juvenile
Administrative Segregation Task Force established under this
section.
(b) The Adult and Juvenile Administrative Segregation Task
Force is established.
(c) The task force is composed of the following 18 members:
(1) the executive director of the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice or the executive director's designee;
(2) the executive director of the Texas Juvenile
Justice Department or the executive director's designee;
(3) the executive director of the Commission on Jail
Standards or the executive director's designee;
(4) the director of the Texas Correctional Office on
Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments or the director's
designee;
(5) the presiding officer of the Correctional Managed
Health Care Committee or the presiding officer's designee;
(6) one representative designated by the office of
independent ombudsman of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department;
(7) one representative designated by Disability
Rights Texas;
(8) one representative designated by the Texas
Association of Business;
(9) one representative designated by Texas Impact;
(10) one representative designated by the Texas
Criminal Justice Coalition;
(11) one representative designated by Mental Health
America of Texas;
(12) one representative designated by the National
Alliance on Mental Illness; and
(13) six members appointed by the governor, consisting
of:
(A) one representative of a nonprofit entity
involved with the reintegration of inmates;
(B) one representative of a faith-based
organization involved with the reintegration of inmates;
(C) one member who was convicted of a criminal
offense in this state;
(D) one member who has expertise in issues
related to adult or juvenile criminal justice; and
(E) two members who have expertise in issues
related to administrative segregation, seclusion, or solitary
confinement.
(d) The governor shall designate a member of the task force
to serve as presiding officer.
(e) The task force shall meet at the times and places that
the presiding officer determines are appropriate.
(f) A member of the task force is not entitled to
compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the member's
actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings of the
task force and performing other official duties authorized by the
presiding officer of the task force, as provided by the General
Appropriations Act.
(g) The task force is not subject to Chapter 2110,
Government Code.
SECTION 2. DUTIES OF TASK FORCE. The task force shall:
(1) conduct a comprehensive review of administrative
segregation and seclusion policies and practices in facilities in
this state;
(2) develop methods to:
(A) reduce the number of inmates and juveniles
housed in administrative segregation or subject to other
restrictive means of confinement; and
(B) provide inmates and juveniles housed in
administrative segregation with increased access to programs,
services, and mental health treatment; and
(3) make findings and policy recommendations relating
to the use of administrative segregation in facilities in this
state.
SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2014, the
task force shall deliver a report of the task force's findings and
recommendations to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
speaker of the house of representatives, the standing committees of
each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over
criminal justice matters, the executive director of the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice, and the executive director of the
Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and this
Act expires August 31, 2015.
SECTION 5. INITIAL APPOINTMENTS; FIRST MEETING. (a) Not
later than the 60th day after the effective date of this Act, the
governor shall make the appointments required by Section 1(c) of
this Act.
(b) The presiding officer of the task force shall convene
the first meeting of the task force not later than December 1, 2013.
SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2013.