Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB965 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R2802 BDP-D
2	2	By: Allen, Jones of Dallas, Garcia, et al. H.B. No. 965
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 Section 508.158 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 an assessment to identify:
56	56	(1) inmates who are low-risk and would benefit from
57	57	the use of temporary post-release housing payments under Section
58	58	508.157(b); and
59	59	(2) inmates who require more intensive planning for
60	60	post-release housing.
61	61	(d) Not later than February 1 of each year, the department
62	62	shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker
63	63	of the house of representatives, and each standing committee of the
64	64	legislature with primary jurisdiction over the department a report
65	65	that includes the following information for the preceding year:
66	66	(1) the number of inmates described by Subsection (b)
67	67	and the department's efforts to find post-release housing for those
68	68	inmates;
69	69	(2) the department's efforts to reduce the length of
70	70	time between an inmate's parole approval and the release of the
71	71	inmate on parole for an inmate described by Subsection (b);
72	72	(3) the department's efforts to expand post-release
73	73	housing options in local communities, including post-release
74	74	housing that meets or exceeds the standards developed by the
75	75	Reentry Housing Task Force;
76	76	(4) the average number of days a releasee is housed in
77	77	a residential correctional facility; and
78	78	(5) the number of releasees who absconded from a
79	79	residential correctional facility.
80	80	SECTION 3. Section 508.157(e-1), Government Code, is
81	81	repealed.
82	82	SECTION 4. (a) In this section:
83	83	(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
84	84	Criminal Justice.
85	85	(2) "Releasee" has the meaning assigned by Section
86	86	508.001, Government Code.
87	87	(3) "Task force" means the Reentry Housing Task Force
88	88	established under this section.
89	89	(b) The Reentry Housing Task Force is established and is
90	90	composed of members appointed by the executive director of the
91	91	department. The task force must include at least one
92	92	representative from each of the following entities:
93	93	(1) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
94	94	Affairs;
95	95	(2) the Texas Veterans Commission;
96	96	(3) a nonprofit organization that is engaged in
97	97	creating recovery housing options in this state;
98	98	(4) a nonprofit organization that advocates for
99	99	persons who are required to register as a sex offender under Chapter
100	100	62, Code of Criminal Procedure;
101	101	(5) a nonprofit organization for family members of
102	102	persons who are incarcerated; and
103	103	(6) a nonprofit organization that operates a Continuum
104	104	of Care program funded wholly or partly by the United States
105	105	Department of Housing and Urban Development.
106	106	(c) Not later than November 1, 2023, the executive director
107	107	of the department shall:
108	108	(1) appoint the members of the task force; and
109	109	(2) designate a member as the presiding officer of the
110	110	task force.
111	111	(d) A member of the task force is not entitled to
112	112	compensation for service on the task force but is entitled to
113	113	reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while
114	114	conducting the business of the task force as provided by the General
115	115	Appropriations Act.
116	116	(e) The task force shall:
117	117	(1) evaluate strategies for improving post-release
118	118	housing for releasees, including:
119	119	(A) methods to provide housing options for
120	120	releasees that are in addition to housing provided by residential
121	121	correctional facilities, as that term is defined by Section
122	122	508.157, Government Code; and
123	123	(B) the feasibility of expanding the use of
124	124	housing vouchers or other payments for the post-release housing of
125	125	releasees;
126	126	(2) develop standards for post-release housing for
127	127	releasees that are consistent with nationally recognized standards
128	128	for recovery housing;
129	129	(3) develop a post-release housing planning procedure
130	130	for releasees that the department may implement that includes the
131	131	early identification and assessment of inmates who do not have an
132	132	established plan for housing following release on parole or to
133	133	mandatory supervision; and
134	134	(4) develop recommendations to address the risk of
135	135	homelessness for releasees who are unable to find suitable
136	136	post-release housing.
137	137	(f) Not later than December 1, 2024, the task force shall
138	138	prepare and submit to the department and the legislature a written
139	139	report on the task force's findings under this section. The report
140	140	must include the standards, procedures, and recommendations
141	141	developed under Subsection (e) of this section.
142	142	(g) The task force is abolished and this section expires
143	143	September 1, 2025.
144	144	SECTION 5. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section
145	145	508.157(b)(2), Government Code, as amended by this Act, until
146	146	January 1, 2025, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice may
147	147	continue to make payments for the cost of temporary post-release
148	148	housing under the requirements of Section 508.157(b), Government
149	149	Code, that existed immediately before the effective date of this
150	150	Act, and those requirements are continued in effect for that
151	151	purpose.
152	152	SECTION 6. Not later than December 1, 2023, the Texas
153	153	Department of Criminal Justice shall implement the post-release
154	154	housing planning procedure required by Section 508.158, Government
155	155	Code, as added by this Act.
156	156	SECTION 7. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall
157	157	submit the first report required by Section 508.158(d), Government
158	158	Code, as added by this Act, not later than February 1, 2025.
159	159	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.