By: Coleman, Wu H.B. No. 3786
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a study conducted by counties on the effectiveness of
establishing a family drug court; establishing a family drug court
grant program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 122, Government Code, is amended by
adding Sections 122.005 and 122.006 to read as follows:
Sec. 122.005. FAMILY DRUG COURT STUDY. (a) The
commissioners court of a county that has not established a family
drug court program may conduct a study of the effect the creation of
a family drug court would have in the county. If the commissioners
court conducts a study under this section, the sheriff and, as
applicable, the county attorney, district attorney, or criminal
district attorney shall assist in conducting the study.
(b) A commissioners court that conducts a study under this
section shall request assistance from the following persons located
in the county:
(1) judges;
(2) child protective services caseworkers and
supervisors;
(3) attorneys ad litem;
(4) guardians ad litem;
(5) drug treatment providers;
(6) family and child therapists;
(7) peer recovery coach providers;
(8) domestic violence victim advocates;
(9) housing partners;
(10) drug coordinators;
(11) drug court services managers; and
(12) drug court case managers.
(c) A study conducted under this section must analyze the
effectiveness of:
(1) creating a court that specializes in cases in
which a parent or person standing in parental relation suffers from
drug addiction; and
(2) case management used by a family drug court
program, including the involvement of Department of Family and
Protective Services caseworkers, court-appointed case managers,
and court-appointed special advocates, to rehabilitate a parent or
person standing in parental relation who has had a child removed
from the parent's or person's care by the department or who is under
investigation to determine if a child should be removed from the
parent's or person's care by the department.
(d) This section expires January 1, 2021.
Sec. 122.006. GRANT FUNDING FOR FAMILY DRUG COURTS. (a)
The family drug court fund is a dedicated account in the general
revenue fund in the state treasury.
(b) The family drug court fund consists of:
(1) appropriations of money to the fund by the
legislature; and
(2) gifts, grants, including grants from the federal
government, and other donations received for the fund.
(c) The Health and Human Services Commission shall
administer the family drug court fund. Money in the account may be
used only to award grants to counties to establish and administer a
family drug court. To receive money from the family drug court fund
a county must submit the study conducted under Section 122.005 on
the effect of the creation of a family drug court in the county and a
detailed proposal of the establishment of the court.
SECTION 2. The Health and Human Services Commission shall
adopt rules establishing the criteria for awarding a grant to
counties to establish a family drug court under Section 122.006,
Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1,
2020.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.