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| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 8 | | relating to the establishment of an advisory committee on |
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| 7 | 9 | | preventable deaths in county jails and a report concerning county |
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| 8 | 10 | | jail safety. |
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| 9 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 13 | | adding Section 511.0082 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 14 | | Sec. 511.0082. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PREVENTABLE DEATHS. |
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| 13 | 15 | | (a) The commission shall establish an advisory committee to make |
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| 14 | 16 | | recommendations on the reduction of preventable deaths in county |
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| 15 | 17 | | jails. The commission shall appoint not more than 11 members to the |
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| 16 | 18 | | advisory committee. The advisory committee must include: |
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| 17 | 19 | | (1) one member who is a family member of a person who |
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| 18 | 20 | | died in a county jail in this state; |
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| 19 | 21 | | (2) one member with expertise in jail conditions, jail |
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| 20 | 22 | | standards, and deaths in custody who does not have any association |
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| 21 | 23 | | with law enforcement or an agency of this state; |
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| 22 | 24 | | (3) one criminal defense attorney; |
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| 23 | 25 | | (4) one medical examiner; |
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| 24 | 26 | | (5) two members who represent the public; and |
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| 25 | 27 | | (6) any other member whom the commission determines to |
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| 26 | 28 | | be appropriate. |
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| 27 | 29 | | (b) The advisory committee described by Subsection (a) |
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| 28 | 30 | | shall: |
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| 29 | 31 | | (1) meet monthly; |
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| 30 | 32 | | (2) collect and review reports of deaths in custody |
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| 31 | 33 | | after an investigation of the death has concluded, including |
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| 32 | 34 | | reviewing any evidence as determined necessary by the advisory |
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| 33 | 35 | | committee; |
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| 34 | 36 | | (3) identify deaths in custody that could have been |
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| 35 | 37 | | prevented; and |
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| 36 | 38 | | (4) make recommendations to the commission regarding |
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| 37 | 39 | | rules, policies, and training needed to reduce preventable deaths |
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| 38 | 40 | | in county jails. |
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| 39 | 41 | | (c) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the size, composition, or |
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| 40 | 42 | | duration of the advisory committee described by Subsection (a). |
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| 41 | 43 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 42 | 44 | | adding Section 511.00904 to read as follows: |
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| 43 | 45 | | Sec. 511.00904. ANNUAL REPORT ON EMERGING ISSUES IN JAIL |
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| 44 | 46 | | SAFETY, SECURITY, AND COMPLIANCE. The commission shall annually |
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| 45 | 47 | | prepare and publish on the commission's Internet website a report |
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| 46 | 48 | | summarizing emerging issues in county jail safety, security, and |
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| 47 | 49 | | compliance, including data and recommendations to reduce |
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| 48 | 50 | | preventable deaths. The report must include the following |
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| 49 | 51 | | information: |
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| 50 | 52 | | (1) a summary of each death that occurred in a county |
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| 51 | 53 | | jail, including a detailed description of each death identified as |
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| 52 | 54 | | preventable by the advisory committee established under Section |
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| 53 | 55 | | 511.0082 and any responses by county officials regarding the death; |
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| 54 | 56 | | (2) a statistical report on deaths that occurred in a |
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| 55 | 57 | | county jail in the reporting year compared against the preceding |
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| 56 | 58 | | five years, disaggregated by: |
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| 57 | 59 | | (A) cause of death; |
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| 58 | 60 | | (B) county in which the death occurred; |
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| 59 | 61 | | (C) race, ethnicity, sex, and age of the inmate |
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| 60 | 62 | | who died; |
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| 61 | 63 | | (D) whether the inmate who died was identified |
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| 62 | 64 | | for health, mental health, or intellectual disability disorder |
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| 63 | 65 | | consideration; |
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| 64 | 66 | | (E) whether the death was a preventable death; |
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| 65 | 67 | | (F) whether the jail was issued a notice of |
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| 66 | 68 | | noncompliance or provided with technical assistance; and |
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| 67 | 69 | | (G) whether force was used on the inmate before |
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| 68 | 70 | | the inmate's death; |
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| 69 | 71 | | (3) the number and nature of complaints made regarding |
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| 70 | 72 | | county jails, including complaints regarding a violation of any |
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| 71 | 73 | | required ratio of correctional officers to inmates; |
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| 72 | 74 | | (4) recommendations made by the advisory committee |
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| 73 | 75 | | established under Section 511.0082; |
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| 74 | 76 | | (5) turnover and vacancy rates for county jail staff, |
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| 75 | 77 | | including medical staff, disaggregated by jail and medical bed |
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| 76 | 78 | | count at the jail; |
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| 77 | 79 | | (6) a list of county jails in noncompliance and the |
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| 78 | 80 | | nature of the noncompliance related to commission rules, |
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| 79 | 81 | | requirements, and standards, including the requirements of Article |
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| 80 | 82 | | 16.22, Code of Criminal Procedure; and |
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| 81 | 83 | | (7) a list of county jails that have been granted a |
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| 82 | 84 | | variance from commission rules and a description of the variances. |
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| 83 | 85 | | SECTION 3. Not later than October 1, 2025, the Commission on |
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| 84 | 86 | | Jail Standards shall appoint the members of the advisory committee |
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| 85 | 87 | | on preventable deaths as required by Section 511.0082, Government |
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| 86 | 88 | | Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 87 | 89 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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