BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 355 By: Craddick Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that there is not a statutory requirement for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to begin rehabilitative programming for youth sentenced to TJJD rehabilitation programs and that, consequently, youths are waiting in county or other jail facilities for extended periods, sometimes even over a year, with no rehabilitation and unable to begin their programming for release. H.B. 355 seeks to help juveniles get access to rehabilitative services in a timely manner by requiring TJJD to take custody of a person committed to its care within 30 days of the judge signing the disposition order. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 355 amends the Family Code to require the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to accept custody of a person not later than the 30th day after the date on which a juvenile court judge signs a disposition order committing the person to TJJD. The bill requires TJJD, if it does not take custody of a person within that 30-day period, to compensate the applicable county for the cost of detention for each day that the person remains detained in a facility operated by or under contract with the county following the expiration of that period. The compensation must be equal to the amount that would have been incurred by TJJD to detain the person for that period. H.B. 355 amends the Human Resources Code to require TJJD, beginning on the 31st day after the date a child is committed to TJJD, to give credit toward the minimum length of stay established for the child for time spent in a pre-adjudication secure detention facility before the child's transfer to TJJD. EFFECTIVE DATE January 1, 2026.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 355
By: Craddick
Criminal Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 355
By: Craddick
Criminal Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that there is not a statutory requirement for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to begin rehabilitative programming for youth sentenced to TJJD rehabilitation programs and that, consequently, youths are waiting in county or other jail facilities for extended periods, sometimes even over a year, with no rehabilitation and unable to begin their programming for release. H.B. 355 seeks to help juveniles get access to rehabilitative services in a timely manner by requiring TJJD to take custody of a person committed to its care within 30 days of the judge signing the disposition order.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 355 amends the Family Code to require the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to accept custody of a person not later than the 30th day after the date on which a juvenile court judge signs a disposition order committing the person to TJJD. The bill requires TJJD, if it does not take custody of a person within that 30-day period, to compensate the applicable county for the cost of detention for each day that the person remains detained in a facility operated by or under contract with the county following the expiration of that period. The compensation must be equal to the amount that would have been incurred by TJJD to detain the person for that period. H.B. 355 amends the Human Resources Code to require TJJD, beginning on the 31st day after the date a child is committed to TJJD, to give credit toward the minimum length of stay established for the child for time spent in a pre-adjudication secure detention facility before the child's transfer to TJJD.
EFFECTIVE DATE January 1, 2026.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that there is not a statutory requirement for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to begin rehabilitative programming for youth sentenced to TJJD rehabilitation programs and that, consequently, youths are waiting in county or other jail facilities for extended periods, sometimes even over a year, with no rehabilitation and unable to begin their programming for release. H.B. 355 seeks to help juveniles get access to rehabilitative services in a timely manner by requiring TJJD to take custody of a person committed to its care within 30 days of the judge signing the disposition order.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 355 amends the Family Code to require the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) to accept custody of a person not later than the 30th day after the date on which a juvenile court judge signs a disposition order committing the person to TJJD. The bill requires TJJD, if it does not take custody of a person within that 30-day period, to compensate the applicable county for the cost of detention for each day that the person remains detained in a facility operated by or under contract with the county following the expiration of that period. The compensation must be equal to the amount that would have been incurred by TJJD to detain the person for that period.
H.B. 355 amends the Human Resources Code to require TJJD, beginning on the 31st day after the date a child is committed to TJJD, to give credit toward the minimum length of stay established for the child for time spent in a pre-adjudication secure detention facility before the child's transfer to TJJD.
EFFECTIVE DATE
January 1, 2026.