| 1 | 1 | | 87R12499 LHC-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: White H.B. No. 4076 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to a modernization plan for post-adjudication secure |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | correctional facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Department and a task force to evaluate those facilities. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 203, Human Resources Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | adding Section 203.020 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 203.020. PLAN TO MODERNIZE SECURE FACILITIES. (a) In |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | coordination with the regionalization plan described by Section |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | 203.017, the department shall develop and implement a plan to |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | modernize the secure facilities operated by the department under |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Subtitle C. |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (b) The plan must: |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (1) provide for methods to: |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (A) reduce the department's deferred maintenance |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | costs; |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (B) increase the energy efficiency of secure |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | facilities; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (C) direct cost savings to pay for health care |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | costs for children committed to the department; |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (D) increase staffing efficiency; and |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (E) increase correctional staff compensation; |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (2) identify options for the department to contract |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | with private sector vendors to build and maintain secure facilities |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | to be leased by the department; |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (3) require new facilities to meet the standards for |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | secure correctional facilities published by the American |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | Correctional Association; and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (4) require that new facilities be designed to: |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (A) maximize the safety of correctional |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | officers, facility staff, and children committed to the custody of |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | the department; |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (B) comply with any court-ordered remedy; and |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (C) facilitate the rehabilitation and |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | reintegration into society of children committed to the custody of |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | the department. |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (c) In developing the plan, the department shall consult |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | with stakeholders and experts. |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (d) New facilities built under the plan may only be named |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | for juvenile correctional officers or staff who: |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (1) were killed in the course of their employment with |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | the department; or |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | (2) made significant contributions to public safety in |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | this state. |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. (a) A task force is established under this |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | section to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Texas Juvenile |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | Justice Department's secure correctional facilities. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (b) The governor shall appoint to the task force in a number |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | that the governor deems sufficient: |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | (1) members of the house of representatives and |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | senate; |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | (2) local government officials; and |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | (3) juvenile justice stakeholders. |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (c) Not later than September 1, 2022, the task force shall |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | legislature recommendations regarding which secure correctional |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department should |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | be: |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | (1) renovated and continued in operation as a secure |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | correctional facility by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | (2) renovated and used for a purpose other than a |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | secure correctional facility by the Texas Juvenile Justice |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | Department; or |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | (3) repurposed by an entity other than the Texas |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | Juvenile Justice Department. |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | (d) The task force established under this section is |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | abolished December 1, 2022. |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2022, the Texas |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | Juvenile Justice Department shall develop the plan required by |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | Section 203.020, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act. |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | of this Act, the governor shall make appointments to the task force |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | created by this Act. |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
|---|