| 1 | 1 | | 88R11664 AMF-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Lopez of Bexar, Garcia H.B. No. 4283 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study on the recidivism rate of defendants who |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | complete a veterans treatment court program. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 124, Government Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | adding Section 124.008 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 124.008. RECIDIVISM STUDY. (a) In this section, |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | "council" means the Texas Judicial Council. |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (b) The council, in collaboration with the Texas Veterans |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Commission, shall conduct a study to evaluate the recidivism rate |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | of defendants who successfully completed a veterans treatment court |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | program in the preceding 10 years. The report must include: |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (1) the recidivism rate, calculated by determining |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | from available information the percentage of defendants who have, |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | since completing the program: |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (A) been arrested for an offense alleged to have |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | been committed after the defendant completed the program; |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (B) been convicted of an offense committed after |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | the defendant completed the program; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (C) had a term of community supervision revoked |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | due to a technical violation or commission of another offense |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | committed after the defendant completed the program; and |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (D) had a term of parole or mandatory supervision |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | revoked due to a technical violation or commission of another |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | offense committed after the defendant completed the program; |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (2) any apparent patterns in the recidivism rate for |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | defendants based on the available information; |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (3) a summary of any information the council |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | determines is correlated with or otherwise relevant to the |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | recidivism rate for defendants; and |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (4) recommendations for: |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (A) further action to improve outcomes for |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | defendants in the program; and |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (B) program goals to reduce the recidivism rate |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | of defendants. |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (c) The council may collaborate with any state or federal |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | agency, county, or court as necessary to obtain the information |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | described by Subsection (b). |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (d) Not later than January 1, 2025, the council shall |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | prepare and submit to the governor and the legislature a written |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | report containing the results of the study and any recommendations |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | for legislative or other action. |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | (e) This section expires September 1, 2025. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|---|