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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a strategic plan to reduce recidivism by facilitating |
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| 8 | 8 | | stable employment for persons who are preparing to reenter |
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| 9 | 9 | | communities of this state after incarceration. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 501.104 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 501.104. PLAN FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISM BY FACILITATING |
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| 14 | 14 | | STABLE EMPLOYMENT. (a) Not later than December 1, 2020, the |
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| 15 | 15 | | department, in collaboration with the Texas Workforce Commission |
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| 16 | 16 | | and the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial |
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| 17 | 17 | | System, shall develop a five-year strategic plan to reduce |
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| 18 | 18 | | recidivism by facilitating stable employment for persons who are |
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| 19 | 19 | | reentering communities of this state after incarceration. The |
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| 20 | 20 | | department shall submit the plan to: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) the governor; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) the lieutenant governor; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (4) the standing committees of the house and senate |
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| 25 | 25 | | primarily responsible for criminal justice issues and corrections |
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| 26 | 26 | | issues. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) The strategic plan must include the following |
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| 28 | 28 | | information: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) an analysis of data regarding the relationship |
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| 30 | 30 | | between employment and recidivism; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) an analysis of data regarding the effect of |
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| 32 | 32 | | incarceration on a person's ability to pay financial obligations, |
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| 33 | 33 | | including fines, fees, court costs, and child support; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) an analysis of barriers to employment faced by |
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| 35 | 35 | | persons who are reentering communities of this state after |
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| 36 | 36 | | incarceration; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (4) recommendations on how the comprehensive reentry |
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| 38 | 38 | | and reintegration plan adopted under Section 501.092 should be |
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| 39 | 39 | | amended to support the strategic plan; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (5) recommendations to the legislature for statutory |
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| 41 | 41 | | changes that would allow the department to assist incarcerated |
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| 42 | 42 | | persons in obtaining credits or wages that would reduce any |
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| 43 | 43 | | financial obligations before and after reentry; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (6) an evaluation of opportunities for incarcerated |
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| 45 | 45 | | persons to earn credit toward occupational licenses while |
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| 46 | 46 | | incarcerated; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (7) a design for a pilot program that would train |
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| 48 | 48 | | incarcerated persons, pay a private sector wage, and deposit a |
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| 49 | 49 | | portion of those wages in an account from which payments for |
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| 50 | 50 | | financial obligations may be withdrawn. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (c) This section expires September 1, 2021. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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