| 1 | 1 | | By: A. Johnson of Harris H.B. No. 4450 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the establishment of an adult high school pilot program |
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| 7 | 7 | | for certain inmates and defendants in the Texas Department of |
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| 8 | 8 | | Criminal Justice. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Chapter 493, Government Code is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 493.035 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 493.035. ADULT HIGH SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | department shall establish a pilot program under which one or more |
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| 14 | 14 | | nonprofit entities provide an adult education program under |
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| 15 | 15 | | Subchapter G, Chapter 12, Education Code, to enable inmates |
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| 16 | 16 | | described by Subsection (b) to successfully complete a high school |
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| 17 | 17 | | program that can lead to a diploma. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) An inmate who is at least 26 years of age and not more |
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| 19 | 19 | | than 50 years of age is eligible to enroll in an adult high school |
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| 20 | 20 | | program operated under the pilot program if: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) the inmate: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) has failed to complete the curriculum |
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| 23 | 23 | | requirements for high school graduation; or |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) has failed to perform satisfactorily on an |
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| 25 | 25 | | assessment instrument required for high school graduation; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) the department approves the inmate's enrollment in |
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| 27 | 27 | | the program after: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (A) assessing the inmate's suitability for |
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| 29 | 29 | | participation in the program using the results of the risk and needs |
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| 30 | 30 | | assessment instrument adopted under Section 501.0921; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (B) evaluating the inmate's conduct while in the |
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| 32 | 32 | | custody of the department. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c) In admitting inmates to an adult high school education |
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| 34 | 34 | | program operated under the pilot program, the nonprofit entity |
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| 35 | 35 | | shall give priority to an inmate who has not earned a high school |
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| 36 | 36 | | equivalency certificate. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) The department shall issue a request for proposals from |
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| 38 | 38 | | nonprofit entities described by Section 12.256, Education Code, to |
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| 39 | 39 | | provide an adult high school education program under the pilot |
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| 40 | 40 | | program. The department shall require that each applicant identify |
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| 41 | 41 | | each region of this state in which the applicant is able to operate |
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| 42 | 42 | | an adult high school education program under this pilot program. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (e) The department shall contract with at least one |
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| 44 | 44 | | qualified applicant to operate an adult high school education |
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| 45 | 45 | | program under the pilot program. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (f) The department, in consultation with each nonprofit |
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| 47 | 47 | | entity that the department contracts with under this section, shall |
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| 48 | 48 | | identify at least three and not more than five facilities operated |
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| 49 | 49 | | by the department that are suitable to serve as sites for the pilot |
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| 50 | 50 | | program. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2023, the Texas |
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| 52 | 52 | | Department of Criminal Justice shall issue the request for |
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| 53 | 53 | | proposals required by Section 493.035(d), Government Code, as added |
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| 54 | 54 | | by this Act. Not later than September 1, 2024, the Texas Department |
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| 55 | 55 | | of Criminal Justice shall ensure that at least one adult high school |
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| 56 | 56 | | education program required by Section 493.035, Government Code, as |
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| 57 | 57 | | added by this Act, be in operation in a facility operated by the |
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| 58 | 58 | | department. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 60 | 60 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 61 | 61 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 62 | 62 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 63 | 63 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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