Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2943 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R12825 BCH-D
2	2	By: Allen H.B. No. 2943
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to post-release housing for inmates released on parole or
10	10	to mandatory supervision.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 508.157, Government Code, is amended by
13	13	amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read
14	14	as follows:
15	15	(b) The [If the department does not operate or contract for
16	16	the operation of a residential correctional facility in the county
17	17	of legal residence of an inmate or releasee, the] department may
18	18	issue, for an inmate described by Subsection (a) or for a releasee,
19	19	payment for the cost of temporary post-release housing that:
20	20	(1) meets any conditions or requirements imposed by a
21	21	parole panel;
22	22	(2) meets or exceeds the standards developed by the
23	23	Reentry Housing Task Force; and
24	24	(3) is located in the county of legal residence of the
25	25	inmate or releasee[; and
26	26	[(3) except as provided by Subsection (e-1), is in a
27	27	structure that existed on June 1, 2009, as a multifamily residence
28	28	or as a motel to which Section 156.001, Tax Code, applies].
29	29	(f) The department shall actively seek grants from any
30	30	source for the purpose of expanding the use of temporary
31	31	post-release housing payments under Subsection (b) as an
32	32	alternative to housing an inmate described by Subsection (a) or a
33	33	releasee in a residential correctional facility. Notwithstanding
34	34	Subsection (d), the department may issue payments under Subsection
35	35	(b) out of grant funds received for that purpose.
36	36	(g) The department shall:
37	37	(1) prioritize the use of temporary post-release
38	38	housing payments under Subsection (b) to reduce the average number
39	39	of days an inmate described by Subsection (a) or a releasee is
40	40	housed in a residential correctional facility; and
41	41	(2) reduce the number of inmates or releasees housed
42	42	in a residential correctional facility if the department determines
43	43	that the issuance of payments under Subsection (b) increases the
44	44	availability of temporary post-release housing that meets or
45	45	exceeds the standards described by Subsection (b)(2).
46	46	SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 508, Government Code, is
47	47	amended by adding Section 508.158 to read as follows:
48	48	Sec. 508.158. POST-RELEASE HOUSING PLANNING PROCEDURE AND
49	49	REPORT. (a) In this section, "residential correctional facility"
50	50	has the meaning assigned by Section 508.157.
51	51	(b) The department shall implement a post-release housing
52	52	planning procedure for releasees that includes the early
53	53	identification and assessment of inmates who do not have an
54	54	established plan for housing following release on parole or to
55	55	mandatory supervision.
56	56	(c) In implementing the post-release housing planning
57	57	procedure, the department shall create an assessment to identify:
58	58	(1) inmates who are low-risk and would benefit from
59	59	the use of temporary post-release housing payments under Section
60	60	508.157(b); and
61	61	(2) inmates who require more intensive planning for
62	62	post-release housing.
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	SECTION 3. Section 508.157(e-1), Government Code, is
83	83	repealed.
84	84	SECTION 4. (a) In this section:
85	85	(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
86	86	Criminal Justice.
87	87	(2) "Releasee" has the meaning assigned by Section
88	88	508.001, Government Code.
89	89	(3) "Task force" means the Reentry Housing Task Force
90	90	established under this section.
91	91	(b) The Reentry Housing Task Force is established and is
92	92	composed of members appointed by the executive director of the
93	93	department. The task force must include at least one
94	94	representative from each of the following entities:
95	95	(1) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
96	96	Affairs;
97	97	(2) the Texas Veterans Commission;
98	98	(3) a nonprofit organization that is engaged in
99	99	creating recovery housing options in this state;
100	100	(4) a nonprofit organization that advocates for
101	101	persons who are required to register as a sex offender under Chapter
102	102	62, Code of Criminal Procedure;
103	103	(5) a nonprofit organization for family members of
104	104	persons who are incarcerated; and
105	105	(6) a nonprofit organization that operates a Continuum
106	106	of Care program funded wholly or partly by the United States
107	107	Department of Housing and Urban Development.
108	108	(c) Not later than November 1, 2025, the executive director
109	109	of the department shall:
110	110	(1) appoint the members of the task force; and
111	111	(2) designate a member as the presiding officer of the
112	112	task force.
113	113	(d) A member of the task force is not entitled to
114	114	compensation for service on the task force but is entitled to
115	115	reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while
116	116	conducting the business of the task force as provided by the General
117	117	Appropriations Act.
118	118	(e) The task force shall:
119	119	(1) evaluate strategies for improving post-release
120	120	housing for releasees, including:
121	121	(A) methods to provide housing options for
122	122	releasees that are in addition to housing provided by residential
123	123	correctional facilities, as that term is defined by Section
124	124	508.157, Government Code; and
125	125	(B) the feasibility of expanding the use of
126	126	housing vouchers or other payments for the post-release housing of
127	127	releasees;
128	128	(2) develop standards for post-release housing for
129	129	releasees that are consistent with nationally recognized standards
130	130	for recovery housing;
131	131	(3) develop a post-release housing planning procedure
132	132	for releasees that the department may implement that includes the
133	133	early identification and assessment of inmates who do not have an
134	134	established plan for housing following release on parole or to
135	135	mandatory supervision; and
136	136	(4) develop recommendations to address the risk of
137	137	homelessness for releasees who are unable to find suitable
138	138	post-release housing.
139	139	(f) Not later than December 1, 2026, the task force shall
140	140	prepare and submit to the department and the legislature a written
141	141	report on the task force's findings under this section. The report
142	142	must include the standards, procedures, and recommendations
143	143	developed under Subsection (e) of this section.
144	144	(g) The task force is abolished and this section expires
145	145	September 1, 2027.
146	146	SECTION 5. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section
147	147	508.157(b)(2), Government Code, as amended by this Act, until
148	148	January 1, 2027, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice may
149	149	continue to make payments for the cost of temporary post-release
150	150	housing under the requirements of Section 508.157(b), Government
151	151	Code, that existed immediately before the effective date of this
152	152	Act, and those requirements are continued in effect for that
153	153	purpose.
154	154	SECTION 6. Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas
155	155	Department of Criminal Justice shall implement the post-release
156	156	housing planning procedure required by Section 508.158, Government
157	157	Code, as added by this Act.
158	158	SECTION 7. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall
159	159	submit the first report required by Section 508.158(d), Government
160	160	Code, as added by this Act, not later than February 1, 2027.
161	161	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.