87R6201 MCF-D
By: White H.B. No. 1553
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to evaluating the effectiveness of veterans treatment
court programs in this state.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 71.037, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 71.037. SPECIALTY COURT BEST PRACTICES. The council
shall:
(1) review and as appropriate approve recommendations
made by the Specialty Courts Advisory Council under Section
772.0061(b)(2); and
(2) conduct an ongoing evaluation to determine the
effectiveness of veterans treatment court programs established
under Chapter 124 using the guidelines and objective performance
measures developed by the Office of Court Administration of the
Texas Judicial System under Section 72.0305.
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 72.0305 to read as follows:
Sec. 72.0305. VETERANS TREATMENT COURT PROGRAM EVALUATION.
(a) The office shall establish guidelines for and define the scope
of an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of veterans treatment
court programs established under Chapter 124.
(b) The guidelines described by Subsection (a) must contain
objective performance measures, including a standard definition of
recidivism to evaluate each veterans treatment court program's
effectiveness in preventing participants from reentering the
criminal justice system.
(c) The office shall collect and analyze data regarding:
(1) the rate of recidivism among defendants who
successfully completed a veterans treatment court program; and
(2) the statewide rate of recidivism among defendants
who have committed offenses for which a veteran may be eligible to
participate in a veterans treatment court program.
(d) Subsection (c) and this subsection expire September 1,
2031.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.