| 1 | 1 | | 88R11440 MCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Allen H.B. No. 2718 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the composition of the Board of Pardons and Paroles. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 508.031, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | adding Subsections (a-1) and (c) and amending Subsection (b) to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a-1) The board must include at least: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) two members who have bachelor's degrees in |
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| 14 | 14 | | behavioral mental health, each of whom is: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (A) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined |
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| 16 | 16 | | by Section 505.002, Occupations Code; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (B) a licensed professional counselor, as |
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| 18 | 18 | | defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (C) a psychologist, as defined by Section |
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| 20 | 20 | | 501.002, Occupations Code; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) one member whose parent, sibling, child, or |
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| 22 | 22 | | grandparent has been incarcerated; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) one but not more than three members who have |
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| 24 | 24 | | bachelor's degrees in criminal justice or a related field and who |
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| 25 | 25 | | are former employees of a law enforcement agency. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) Appointments to the board must be made without regard to |
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| 27 | 27 | | the [race, color,] disability, [sex,] religion, or age[, or |
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| 28 | 28 | | national origin] of the appointed members. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) The composition of the board must reflect the ethnic |
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| 30 | 30 | | diversity of the inmate population of the department, and at least |
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| 31 | 31 | | half of the members of the board must be female. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act does not |
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| 33 | 33 | | affect the entitlement of a member serving on the Board of Pardons |
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| 34 | 34 | | and Paroles immediately before the effective date of this Act to |
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| 35 | 35 | | continue to serve for the remainder of the member's term. As the |
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| 36 | 36 | | terms of members expire, the governor shall appoint or reappoint |
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| 37 | 37 | | members who have the qualifications required by Section 508.031, |
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| 38 | 38 | | Government Code, as amended by this Act. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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