Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1833 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R7782 JG-D
2	2	By: Eckhardt S.B. No. 1833
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:
35	35	(1) prioritize the use of temporary post-release
36	36	housing payments under Subsection (b) to reduce the average number
37	37	of days an inmate described by Subsection (a) or a releasee is
38	38	housed in a residential correctional facility; and
39	39	(2) reduce the number of inmates or releasees housed
40	40	in a residential correctional facility if the department determines
41	41	that the issuance of payments under Subsection (b) increases the
42	42	availability of temporary post-release housing that meets or
43	43	exceeds the standards described by Subsection (b)(2).
44	44	SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is
45	45	amended by adding Sections 508.158 and 508.159 to read as follows:
46	46	Sec. 508.158. POST-RELEASE HOUSING PLANNING PROCEDURE AND
47	47	REPORT. (a) In this section, "residential correctional facility"
48	48	has the meaning assigned by Section 508.157.
49	49	(b) The department shall implement a post-release housing
50	50	planning procedure for releasees that includes the early
51	51	identification and assessment of inmates who do not have an
52	52	established plan for housing following release on parole or to
53	53	mandatory supervision.
54	54	(c) In implementing the post-release housing planning
55	55	procedure, the department shall create a needs assessment to
56	56	identify:
57	57	(1) inmates who would benefit from the use of
58	58	temporary post-release housing payments under Section 508.157(b);
59	59	(2) inmates who require more intensive planning for
60	60	post-release housing; and
61	61	(3) the particular housing needs of inmates due to a
62	62	disability or an inmate's familial circumstances.
63	63	(d) Not later than February 1 of each year, the department
64	64	shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker
65	65	of the house of representatives, and each standing committee of the
66	66	legislature with primary jurisdiction over the department a report
67	67	that includes the following information for the preceding year:
68	68	(1) the number of inmates described by Subsection (b)
69	69	and the department's efforts to find post-release housing for those
70	70	inmates;
71	71	(2) the department's efforts to reduce the length of
72	72	time between an inmate's parole approval and the release of the
73	73	inmate on parole for an inmate described by Subsection (b);
74	74	(3) the department's efforts to expand post-release
75	75	housing options in local communities, including post-release
76	76	housing that meets or exceeds the standards developed by the
77	77	Reentry Housing Task Force;
78	78	(4) the average number of days a releasee is housed in
79	79	a residential correctional facility; and
80	80	(5) the number of releasees who absconded from a
81	81	residential correctional facility.
82	82	Sec. 508.159. REENTRY HOUSING TASK FORCE; BIENNIAL REPORTS.
83	83	(a) In this section, "task force" means the Reentry Housing Task
84	84	Force established under this section.
85	85	(b) The Reentry Housing Task Force is established and is
86	86	composed of members appointed by the executive director. The task
87	87	force must include:
88	88	(1) at least one representative from each of the
89	89	following entities:
90	90	(A) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
91	91	Affairs;
92	92	(B) the Texas Veterans Commission;
93	93	(C) a nonprofit organization that is engaged in
94	94	creating recovery housing options in this state;
95	95	(D) a nonprofit organization that advocates for
96	96	persons who are required to register as a sex offender under Chapter
97	97	62, Code of Criminal Procedure;
98	98	(E) a nonprofit organization for family members
99	99	of persons who are incarcerated; and
100	100	(F) a nonprofit organization that operates a
101	101	Continuum of Care program funded wholly or partly by the United
102	102	States Department of Housing and Urban Development;
103	103	(2) two or more individuals who are health care
104	104	professionals, one of whom must be a certified emergency medical
105	105	technician; and
106	106	(3) one individual who specializes in the reentry of
107	107	female releasees.
108	108	(c) The executive director shall designate a member of the
109	109	task force as the presiding officer.
110	110	(d) The task force shall meet every other month or at the
111	111	call of the presiding officer.
112	112	(e) A member of the task force is not entitled to
113	113	compensation for service on the task force but is entitled to
114	114	reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while
115	115	conducting the business of the task force as provided by the General
116	116	Appropriations Act.
117	117	(f) The task force shall:
118	118	(1) evaluate, on an ongoing basis, strategies for
119	119	improving post-release housing for releasees, including:
120	120	(A) methods to provide housing options for
121	121	releasees that are in addition to housing provided by residential
122	122	correctional facilities, as that term is defined by Section
123	123	508.157; and
124	124	(B) the feasibility of expanding the use of
125	125	housing vouchers or other payments for the post-release housing of
126	126	releasees;
127	127	(2) develop and update as necessary standards for
128	128	post-release housing for releasees that promote:
129	129	(A) the successful reintegration of releasees
130	130	into the community; and
131	131	(B) community health and safety;
132	132	(3) develop and update as necessary a post-release
133	133	housing planning procedure for releasees that the department may
134	134	implement that includes the early identification and assessment of
135	135	inmates who do not have an established plan for housing following
136	136	release on parole or to mandatory supervision; and
137	137	(4) develop and update as necessary recommendations to
138	138	address the risk of homelessness for releasees who are unable to
139	139	find suitable post-release housing.
140	140	(g) The task force and the department shall evaluate, on an
141	141	ongoing basis, the implementation of post-release housing
142	142	initiatives and planning procedures under this subchapter.
143	143	(h) Not later than June 1 of each even-numbered year, the
144	144	task force shall prepare and submit to the department a written
145	145	report on the task force's findings under this section, including
146	146	standards, procedures, and recommendations developed under
147	147	Subsection (f) and any updates to those standards, procedures, and
148	148	recommendations.
149	149	(i) Not later than June 30 of each even-numbered year, the
150	150	department shall compile the results of the evaluations conducted
151	151	under Subsection (g) and the findings submitted under Subsection
152	152	(h) and shall prepare and submit to the legislature a written report
153	153	on the evaluation results and findings. The report must include any
154	154	proposed legislative recommendations.
155	155	(j) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the size, composition, or
156	156	duration of the task force or to the designation of the task force's
157	157	presiding officer.
158	158	SECTION 3. Section 508.157(e-1), Government Code, is
159	159	repealed.
160	160	SECTION 4. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section
161	161	508.157(b)(2), Government Code, as amended by this Act, until
162	162	January 1, 2023, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice may
163	163	continue to make payments for the cost of temporary post-release
164	164	housing under the requirements of Section 508.157(b), Government
165	165	Code, that existed immediately before the effective date of this
166	166	Act, and those requirements are continued in effect for that
167	167	purpose.
168	168	SECTION 5. Not later than December 1, 2021, the Texas
169	169	Department of Criminal Justice shall implement the post-release
170	170	housing planning procedure and assessment required by Section
171	171	508.158, Government Code, as added by this Act.
172	172	SECTION 6. Not later than November 1, 2021, the executive
173	173	director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall appoint
174	174	the members to the Reentry Housing Task Force as required by Section
175	175	508.159, Government Code, as added by this Act.
176	176	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.