Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3632 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R9808 MTB-F
2	2	By: Romero, Jr. H.B. No. 3632
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation of a continuity of care and service program
8	8	for veteran offenders; creating a criminal offense.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 434, Government Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subchapter J to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER J. CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR VETERAN OFFENDERS
13	13	Sec. 434.421. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	14	(1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission.
15	15	(2) "Veteran offender" includes a veteran of or a
16	16	person serving on active duty in the armed forces of the United
17	17	States for whom criminal charges are pending or who after
18	18	conviction or adjudication is in custody or under any form of
19	19	criminal justice supervision.
20	20	Sec. 434.422. CONTINUITY OF CARE AND SERVICE PROGRAM FOR
21	21	VETERAN OFFENDERS. (a) The commission, the criminal justice
22	22	division of the governor's office, the Texas Workforce Commission,
23	23	the Veterans' Land Board, the Commission on Jail Standards, the
24	24	Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Health and Human Services
25	25	Commission, the bureau of identification and records of the
26	26	Department of Public Safety, representatives of local mental health
27	27	authorities appointed by the commissioner of the Department of
28	28	State Health Services, the directors of community supervision and
29	29	corrections departments, and representatives of veterans treatment
30	30	court programs established under Chapter 124 shall adopt a
31	31	memorandum of understanding that establishes their respective
32	32	responsibilities to institute a continuity of care and service
33	33	program for veteran offenders in the criminal justice system. The
34	34	criminal justice division of the governor's office shall coordinate
35	35	and monitor the development and implementation of the memorandum of
36	36	understanding.
37	37	(b) The memorandum of understanding must establish methods
38	38	for:
39	39	(1) identifying veteran offenders in the criminal
40	40	justice system using data made available from the Veterans Reentry
41	41	Search Service operated by the United States Department of Veterans
42	42	Affairs or a similar service;
43	43	(2) developing interagency rules, policies, and
44	44	procedures for the coordination of care of and exchange of
45	45	information on veteran offenders by the entities listed in
46	46	Subsection (a); and
47	47	(3) connecting veteran offenders to services needed to
48	48	reenter the community successfully using a coordinated online
49	49	network of public, private, and nonprofit organizations serving
50	50	veterans, service members, and their families across service
51	51	regions in this state that is funded by the Texas Workforce
52	52	Commission.
53	53	(c) The entities listed in Subsection (a) shall:
54	54	(1) operate the continuity of care and service program
55	55	for veteran offenders in the criminal justice system with any funds
56	56	appropriated for that purpose; and
57	57	(2) actively seek federal grants or funds to operate
58	58	and expand the program.
59	59	Sec. 434.423. EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION. (a) The entities
60	60	listed in Section 434.422(a) shall:
61	61	(1) accept information relating to a veteran offender
62	62	that is sent to the entity to serve the purposes of continuity of
63	63	care and services; and
64	64	(2) disclose information relating to a veteran
65	65	offender, including information about the offender's identity,
66	66	needs, treatment, social, criminal, and vocational history,
67	67	supervision status and compliance with conditions of supervision,
68	68	and medical and mental health history, if the disclosure serves the
69	69	purposes of continuity of care and services.
70	70	(b) Information obtained under this section may not be used
71	71	as evidence in any criminal proceeding, unless obtained and
72	72	introduced by other lawful evidentiary means.
73	73	(c) An entity listed in Section 434.422(a) shall manage
74	74	confidential information accepted or disclosed under this section
75	75	prudently so as to maintain the confidentiality of that
76	76	information.
77	77	(d) A person commits an offense if the person releases or
78	78	discloses confidential information obtained under this section for
79	79	purposes other than continuity of care and services. An offense
80	80	under this subsection is a Class B misdemeanor.
81	81	(e) It is an exception to the application of Subsection (d)
82	82	that the person's release or disclosure of information was
83	83	authorized by other law or with the consent of the person to whom
84	84	the information relates.
85	85	SECTION 2. Section 411.042, Government Code, is amended by
86	86	adding Subsection (k) to read as follows:
87	87	(k) The bureau of identification and records shall collect
88	88	and disseminate information regarding veteran offenders in
89	89	compliance with Subchapter J, Chapter 434.
90	90	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.