Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2830 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R5435 JRR-D
2	2	By: White H.B. No. 2830
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to post-release housing for inmates released on parole or
8	8	to mandatory supervision.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 508.157, Government Code, is amended by
11	11	amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read
12	12	as follows:
13	13	(b) The [If the department does not operate or contract for
14	14	the operation of a residential correctional facility in the county
15	15	of legal residence of an inmate or releasee, the] department may
16	16	issue, for an inmate described by Subsection (a) or for a releasee,
17	17	payment for the cost of temporary post-release housing that:
18	18	(1) meets any conditions or requirements imposed by a
19	19	parole panel;
20	20	(2) meets or exceeds the standards developed by the
21	21	Reentry Housing Task Force; and
22	22	(3) is located in the county of legal residence of the
23	23	inmate or releasee[; and
24	24	[(3) except as provided by Subsection (e-1), is in a
25	25	structure that existed on June 1, 2009, as a multifamily residence
26	26	or as a motel to which Section 156.001, Tax Code, applies].
27	27	(f) The department shall actively seek grants from any
28	28	source for the purpose of expanding the use of temporary
29	29	post-release housing payments under Subsection (b) as an
30	30	alternative to housing an inmate described by Subsection (a) or a
31	31	releasee in a residential correctional facility. Notwithstanding
32	32	Subsection (d), the department may issue payments under Subsection
33	33	(b) out of grant funds received for that purpose.
34	34	(g) The department shall prioritize the use of temporary
35	35	post-release housing payments under Subsection (b) to reduce the
36	36	average number of days an inmate described by Subsection (a) or a
37	37	releasee is housed in a residential correctional facility.
38	38	SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is
39	39	amended by adding Section 508.158 to read as follows:
40	40	Sec. 508.158. POST-RELEASE HOUSING PLANNING PROCEDURE AND
41	41	REPORT. (a) In this section, "residential correctional facility"
42	42	has the meaning assigned by Section 508.157.
43	43	(b) The department shall implement a post-release housing
44	44	planning procedure for releasees that includes the early
45	45	identification and assessment of inmates who do not have an
46	46	established plan for housing following release on parole or to
47	47	mandatory supervision.
48	48	(c) In implementing the post-release housing planning
49	49	procedure, the department shall create an assessment to identify:
50	50	(1) inmates who are low-risk and would benefit from
51	51	the use of temporary post-release housing payments under Section
52	52	508.157(b); and
53	53	(2) inmates who require more intensive planning for
54	54	post-release housing.
55	55	(d) Not later than February 1 of each year, the department
56	56	shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker
57	57	of the house of representatives, and each standing committee of the
58	58	legislature with primary jurisdiction over the department a report
59	59	that includes the following information for the preceding year:
60	60	(1) the number of inmates described by Subsection (b)
61	61	and the department's efforts to find post-release housing for those
62	62	inmates;
63	63	(2) the department's efforts to reduce the length of
64	64	time between an inmate's parole approval and the release of the
65	65	inmate on parole for an inmate described by Subsection (b);
66	66	(3) the department's efforts to expand post-release
67	67	housing options in local communities, including post-release
68	68	housing that meets or exceeds the standards developed by the
69	69	Reentry Housing Task Force;
70	70	(4) the average number of days a releasee is housed in
71	71	a residential correctional facility; and
72	72	(5) the number of releasees who absconded from a
73	73	residential correctional facility.
74	74	SECTION 3. Section 508.157(e-1), Government Code, is
75	75	repealed.
76	76	SECTION 4. (a) In this section:
77	77	(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
78	78	Criminal Justice.
79	79	(2) "Releasee" has the meaning assigned by Section
80	80	508.001, Government Code.
81	81	(3) "Task force" means the Reentry Housing Task Force
82	82	established under this section.
83	83	(b) The Reentry Housing Task Force is established and is
84	84	composed of members appointed by the executive director of the
85	85	department. The task force must include at least one
86	86	representative from each of the following entities:
87	87	(1) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
88	88	Affairs;
89	89	(2) the Texas Veterans Commission;
90	90	(3) a nonprofit organization that is engaged in
91	91	creating recovery housing options in this state;
92	92	(4) a nonprofit organization that advocates for
93	93	persons who are required to register as a sex offender under Chapter
94	94	62, Code of Criminal Procedure;
95	95	(5) a nonprofit organization for family members of
96	96	persons who are incarcerated; and
97	97	(6) a nonprofit organization that operates a Continuum
98	98	of Care program funded wholly or partly by the United States
99	99	Department of Housing and Urban Development.
100	100	(c) Not later than November 1, 2021, the executive director
101	101	of the department shall:
102	102	(1) appoint the members of the task force; and
103	103	(2) designate a member as the presiding officer of the
104	104	task force.
105	105	(d) A member of the task force is not entitled to
106	106	compensation for service on the task force but is entitled to
107	107	reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while
108	108	conducting the business of the task force as provided by the General
109	109	Appropriations Act.
110	110	(e) The task force shall:
111	111	(1) evaluate strategies for improving post-release
112	112	housing for releasees, including:
113	113	(A) methods to provide housing options for
114	114	releasees that are in addition to housing provided by residential
115	115	correctional facilities, as that term is defined by Section
116	116	508.157, Government Code; and
117	117	(B) the feasibility of expanding the use of
118	118	housing vouchers or other payments for the post-release housing of
119	119	releasees;
120	120	(2) develop standards for post-release housing for
121	121	releasees that are consistent with nationally recognized standards
122	122	for recovery housing;
123	123	(3) develop a post-release housing planning procedure
124	124	for releasees that the department may implement that includes the
125	125	early identification and assessment of inmates who do not have an
126	126	established plan for housing following release on parole or to
127	127	mandatory supervision; and
128	128	(4) develop recommendations to address the risk of
129	129	homelessness for releasees who are unable to find suitable
130	130	post-release housing.
131	131	(f) Not later than December 1, 2022, the task force shall
132	132	prepare and submit to the department and the legislature a written
133	133	report on the task force's findings under this section. The report
134	134	must include the standards, procedures, and recommendations
135	135	developed under Subsection (e) of this section.
136	136	(g) The task force is abolished and this section expires
137	137	September 1, 2023.
138	138	SECTION 5. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section
139	139	508.157(b)(2), Government Code, as amended by this Act, until
140	140	January 1, 2023, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice may
141	141	continue to make payments for the cost of temporary post-release
142	142	housing under the requirements of Section 508.157(b), Government
143	143	Code, that existed immediately before the effective date of this
144	144	Act, and those requirements are continued in effect for that
145	145	purpose.
146	146	SECTION 6. Not later than December 1, 2021, the Texas
147	147	Department of Criminal Justice shall implement the post-release
148	148	housing planning procedure and assessment required by Section
149	149	508.158, Government Code, as added by this Act.
150	150	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.