Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1401 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R7135 MK-F
2	2	By: Rodríguez S.B. No. 1401
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation of an advisory committee to examine and
8	8	recommend a plan to increase the minimum age of juvenile
9	9	jurisdiction.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "board" means the Texas
12	12	Juvenile Justice Board.
13	13	SECTION 2. JUVENILE JURISDICTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Not
14	14	later than December 1, 2015, the board shall appoint an advisory
15	15	committee to develop a plan for raising the minimum age of a child
16	16	subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years of age to 13
17	17	years of age.
18	18	SECTION 3. APPOINTMENTS; PRESIDING OFFICER. (a) In making
19	19	appointments to the advisory committee, the board shall appoint
20	20	members the board considers appropriate and who represent the
21	21	geographic diversity of the state. The advisory committee must
22	22	include:
23	23	(1) one member from the Texas Juvenile Justice
24	24	Department;
25	25	(2) one member from the Department of State Health
26	26	Services;
27	27	(3) one member from the Health and Human Services
28	28	Commission;
29	29	(4) one member from the Texas Education Agency or who
30	30	has expertise in education;
31	31	(5) one member from the Legislative Budget Board with
32	32	relevant expertise;
33	33	(6) at least one member from the Department of Family
34	34	and Protective Services;
35	35	(7) at least three chief juvenile probation officers,
36	36	including at least one chief juvenile probation officer from an
37	37	urban county, one chief juvenile probation officer from a suburban
38	38	county, and one chief juvenile probation officer from a rural
39	39	county;
40	40	(8) at least two members from local mental health
41	41	authorities, including at least one member from an urban county and
42	42	one member from a rural county;
43	43	(9) a prosecutor with expertise in prosecuting
44	44	juvenile offenders;
45	45	(10) a defense attorney who specializes in juvenile
46	46	defense;
47	47	(11) a youth advocate;
48	48	(12) private providers of youth services, including
49	49	prevention services;
50	50	(13) an individual with expertise in adolescent
51	51	development or the impact of trauma on adolescents;
52	52	(14) an individual who was involved with the juvenile
53	53	justice system before the individual's thirteenth birthday or a
54	54	parent of an individual who was involved with the juvenile justice
55	55	system before the individual's thirteenth birthday; and
56	56	(15) any other member considered appropriate by the
57	57	board.
58	58	(b) The board shall select one member of the advisory
59	59	committee to serve as presiding officer of the advisory committee.
60	60	SECTION 4. COMPENSATION. A member of the advisory
61	61	committee serves without compensation and is not entitled to
62	62	reimbursement for travel expenses.
63	63	SECTION 5. APPLICATION OF LAWS GOVERNING ADVISORY
64	64	COMMITTEES. The advisory committee is not subject to Chapter 2110,
65	65	Government Code.
66	66	SECTION 6. DUTIES OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The advisory
67	67	committee shall:
68	68	(1) evaluate the feasibility of raising the minimum
69	69	age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from 10 years
70	70	of age to 13 years of age;
71	71	(2) identify services currently available for
72	72	juveniles between 10 and 13 years of age within the juvenile justice
73	73	system; and
74	74	(3) develop an implementation plan to raise the
75	75	minimum age of a child subject to juvenile court jurisdiction from
76	76	10 years of age to 13 years of age, including:
77	77	(A) methods for ensuring that juveniles between
78	78	10 and 13 years of age who currently receive services through the
79	79	juvenile justice system continue to be eligible for and receive
80	80	services outside of the juvenile justice system; and
81	81	(B) any legislative, administrative, or funding
82	82	provisions required to adopt the plan.
83	83	SECTION 7. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2016, the
84	84	advisory committee shall submit to the Texas Juvenile Justice
85	85	Board, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and appropriate
86	86	committees of the legislature a report that contains the advisory
87	87	committee's findings and the implementation plan developed under
88	88	Section 6 of this Act.
89	89	SECTION 8. EXPIRATION DATE. The advisory committee is
90	90	abolished and this Act expires December 31, 2016.
91	91	SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
92	92	immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
93	93	elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
94	94	Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
95	95	immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.