Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3726 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R22905 MAW-D
2	2	By: Farias H.B. No. 3726
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3726:
4	4	By: King of Taylor C.S.H.B. No. 3726
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to establishing a veterans services coordinator for the
10	10	Texas Department of Criminal Justice and a veterans rehabilitation
11	11	dorm program for certain state jail defendants confined by the
12	12	department.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Section 501.025 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 501.025. VETERANS SERVICES COORDINATOR. (a) The
17	17	department shall establish a veterans services coordinator to
18	18	coordinate responses to the needs of veterans under the supervision
19	19	of the department, including veterans who are released on parole or
20	20	mandatory supervision. The veterans services coordinator, with the
21	21	cooperation of the community justice assistance division, shall
22	22	provide information to community supervision and corrections
23	23	departments to help those departments coordinate responses to the
24	24	needs of veterans placed on community supervision. The veterans
25	25	services coordinator shall coordinate veterans' services for all of
26	26	the department's divisions.
27	27	(b) The veterans services coordinator, in collaboration
28	28	with the attorney general's office, shall provide each incarcerated
29	29	veteran a child support modification application.
30	30	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 507, Government Code, is
31	31	amended by adding Section 507.034 to read as follows:
32	32	Sec. 507.034. VETERANS REHABILITATION DORM PROGRAM. (a)
33	33	The department shall establish a voluntary rehabilitation and
34	34	transition program for defendants confined in state jail felony
35	35	facilities:
36	36	(1) who are veterans of the United States armed
37	37	forces, including veterans of the reserves, national guard, or
38	38	state guard; and
39	39	(2) who suffer from a brain injury, a mental illness, a
40	40	mental disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, or
41	41	substance abuse that:
42	42	(A) occurred during or resulted from their
43	43	military service; and
44	44	(B) may have contributed to their criminal
45	45	activity.
46	46	(b) The program must:
47	47	(1) house defendants participating in the program in
48	48	housing that is designed to mimic the squadron structure familiar
49	49	to veterans;
50	50	(2) provide rehabilitation programming in developing
51	51	healthy relationships, anger management techniques, and substance
52	52	abuse treatment; and
53	53	(3) to the extent feasible, not later than the 30th day
54	54	before the date a defendant participating in the program is
55	55	released or discharged from the department:
56	56	(A) match the defendant with a veteran peer
57	57	coordinator who is certified as a peer services provider through
58	58	the Military Veteran Peer Network to assist the defendant in
59	59	transitioning into the community; and
60	60	(B) transfer the defendant to a state jail
61	61	facility located near the defendant's home community or the
62	62	community in which the defendant intends to reside after the
63	63	defendant's release or discharge, to begin establishing transition
64	64	relationships with the veteran peer coordinator and family members.
65	65	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.