H.B. No. 3648
AN ACT
relating to the powers and duties of the office of independent
ombudsman for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 261.001, Human Resources Code, is
amended by amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to
read as follows:
(1) "Child" means an individual who is:
(A) 10 years of age or older and younger than 19
years of age; and
(B) committed to or placed in a facility
described by Section 261.101(f) by an order issued by a juvenile
court.
(1-a) "Independent ombudsman" means the individual
who has been appointed under this chapter to the office of
independent ombudsman.
SECTION 2. Section 261.101, Human Resources Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,
the powers of the office include:
(1) the inspection of:
(A) a facility operated by the department under
Subtitle C;
(B) a post-adjudication secure correctional
facility under Section 51.125, Family Code;
(C) a nonsecure correctional facility under
Section 51.126, Family Code; and
(D) any other residential facility in which a
child adjudicated as having engaged in conduct indicating a need
for supervision or delinquent conduct is placed by court order; and
(2) the investigation of complaints alleging a
violation of the rights of the children committed to or placed in a
facility described by this subsection.
SECTION 3. The following provisions of the Human Resources
Code are repealed:
(1) Section 261.101(e), as added by Section 11(b),
Chapter 854 (S.B. 1149), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2015; and
(2) Section 261.101(e), as amended by Chapter 962
(S.B. 1630), Acts of the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 3648 was passed by the House on May 3,
2019, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 3648 on May 23, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 2,
1 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 3648 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 20, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor