Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2626 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Rose H.B. No. 2626
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the creation of an advisory committee to examine and
7	7	recommend a plan to increase the minimum age of juvenile
8	8	jurisdiction.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "board" means the Texas
11	11	Juvenile Justice Board.
12	12	SECTION 2. JUVENILE JURISDICTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Not
13	13	later than December 1, 2015, the board shall appoint an advisory
14	14	committee to develop a plan for raising the minimum age of a child
15	15	subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years of age to 13
16	16	years of age.
17	17	SECTION 3. APPOINTMENTS; PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) In making
18	18	appointments to the advisory committee, the board shall appoint
19	19	members the board considers appropriate and who represent the
20	20	geographic diversity of the state. The advisory committee must
21	21	include:
22	22	(1) one member from the Texas Juvenile Justice
23	23	Department;
24	24	(2) one member from the Department of State Health
25	25	Services;
26	26	(3) one member from the Health and Human Services
27	27	Commission;
28	28	(4) one member from the Texas Education Agency or who
29	29	has expertise in education;
30	30	(5) one member from the Legislative Budget Board with
31	31	relevant expertise;
32	32	(6) at least one member from the Department of Family
33	33	and Protective Services;
34	34	(7) at least three chief juvenile probation officers,
35	35	including at least one chief juvenile probation officer from an
36	36	urban county, one chief juvenile probation officer from a suburban
37	37	county, and one chief juvenile probation officer from a rural
38	38	county;
39	39	(8) at least two members from local mental health
40	40	authorities, including at least one member from an urban county and
41	41	one member from a rural county;
42	42	(9) a prosecutor with expertise in prosecuting
43	43	juvenile offenders;
44	44	(10) a defense attorney who specializes in juvenile
45	45	defense;
46	46	(11) a youth advocate;
47	47	(12) private providers of youth services, including
48	48	prevention services;
49	49	(13) an individual with expertise in adolescent
50	50	development or the impact of trauma on adolescents;
51	51	(14) an individual who was involved with the juvenile
52	52	justice system before the individual's thirteenth birthday or a
53	53	parent of an individual who was involved with the juvenile justice
54	54	system before the individual's thirteenth birthday; and
55	55	(15) any other member considered appropriate by the
56	56	board.
57	57	(b) The board shall select one member of the advisory
58	58	committee to serve as presiding officer of the advisory committee.
59	59	SECTION 4. COMPENSATION. A member of the advisory
60	60	committee serves without compensation and is not entitled to
61	61	reimbursement for travel expenses.
62	62	SECTION 5. APPLICATION OF LAWS GOVERNING ADVISORY
63	63	COMMITTEES. The advisory committee is not subject to Chapter 2110,
64	64	Government Code.
65	65	SECTION 6. DUTIES OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The advisory
66	66	committee shall:
67	67	(1) evaluate the feasibility of raising the minimum
68	68	age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years
69	69	of age to 13 years of age;
70	70	(2) identify services currently available for
71	71	juveniles between 10 and 13 years of age within the juvenile justice
72	72	system; and
73	73	(3) develop an implementation plan to raise the
74	74	minimum age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from
75	75	10 years of age to 13 years of age, including:
76	76	(A) methods for ensuring that juveniles between
77	77	10 and 13 years of age who currently receive services through the
78	78	juvenile justice system continue to be eligible for and receive
79	79	services outside of the juvenile justice system; and
80	80	(B) any legislative, administrative, or funding
81	81	provisions required to adopt the plan.
82	82	SECTION 7. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2016, the
83	83	advisory committee shall submit to the Texas Juvenile Justice
84	84	Board, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and appropriate
85	85	committees of the legislature a report that contains the advisory
86	86	committee's findings and the implementation plan developed under
87	87	Section 6 of this Act.
88	88	SECTION 8. EXPIRATION DATE. The advisory committee is
89	89	abolished and this Act expires December 31, 2016.
90	90	SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
91	91	immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
92	92	elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
93	93	Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
94	94	immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.