Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB661 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R2663 MCF-F
2	2	By: West S.B. No. 661
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the creation of the Office of Youth Health and Safety.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Chapter 523, Government Code, is amended by
12	12	adding Subchapter I to read as follows:
13	13	SUBCHAPTER I. OFFICE OF YOUTH HEALTH AND SAFETY
14	14	Sec. 523.0401. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
15	15	(1) "Board" means the Board of Youth Health and
16	16	Safety.
17	17	(2) "Child" means an individual 10 years of age or
18	18	older and younger than 18 years of age who is under the jurisdiction
19	19	of a juvenile court.
20	20	(3) "Office" means the Office of Youth Health and
21	21	Safety.
22	22	Sec. 523.0402. OFFICE OF YOUTH HEALTH AND SAFETY. The
23	23	executive commissioner shall maintain an office of youth health and
24	24	safety within the commission's Office of Forensic Coordination with
25	25	the goal of:
26	26	(1) promoting trauma-responsive and culturally
27	27	informed services for children engaging in delinquent conduct in a
28	28	manner that supports the child's successful transition to
29	29	adulthood; and
30	30	(2) ensuring children become responsible, thriving,
31	31	and engaged members of their communities.
32	32	Sec. 523.0403. COMPOSITION OF BOARD; PRESIDING OFFICER.
33	33	(a) The board is the governing body of the office.
34	34	(b) The board is composed of the following 21 members or
35	35	their designees:
36	36	(1) the executive commissioner;
37	37	(2) the chief officer of the commission's Medicaid and
38	38	CHIP services division;
39	39	(3) the deputy executive commissioner of the
40	40	Intellectual and Developmental Disability and Behavioral Health
41	41	Services Department;
42	42	(4) the director of the Early Childhood Education
43	43	Division at the Texas Education Agency;
44	44	(5) the following members appointed by the executive
45	45	commissioner:
46	46	(A) a member of the judiciary;
47	47	(B) an attorney with experience in defending
48	48	civil rights cases;
49	49	(C) a member of the Texas Judicial Commission on
50	50	Mental Health;
51	51	(D) a faculty member from the medical school at
52	52	The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio;
53	53	(E) a licensed trauma-informed youth counselor;
54	54	(F) an education advocate;
55	55	(G) two culturally responsive juvenile justice
56	56	advocates;
57	57	(H) a culturally responsive youth mental health
58	58	advocate;
59	59	(I) a harm reduction advocate; and
60	60	(J) a representative of the Texas Correctional
61	61	Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments; and
62	62	(6) the following members appointed by the executive
63	63	commissioner from recommendations made by the presiding officer:
64	64	(A) a child welfare advocate;
65	65	(B) two youth advocates;
66	66	(C) two individuals formerly committed to a
67	67	juvenile secure correctional facility who are able to serve as
68	68	credible messengers for detained youth; and
69	69	(D) a mitigation specialist.
70	70	(c) Board members appointed under Subsections (b)(5) and
71	71	(6) serve staggered six-year terms, with the terms of five or six
72	72	members expiring on February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
73	73	(d) The executive commissioner shall designate a member of
74	74	the board as the presiding officer to serve in that capacity at the
75	75	pleasure of the executive commissioner.
76	76	Sec. 523.0404. PLAN. (a) The office shall develop a plan to
77	77	improve the juvenile justice system under the authority of the
78	78	office.
79	79	(b) The plan must include a detailed list of procedures and
80	80	strategies to:
81	81	(1) not later than September 1, 2028:
82	82	(A) end commitments of children to
83	83	post-adjudication secure correctional facilities operated by the
84	84	Texas Juvenile Justice Department;
85	85	(B) significantly reduce the population of
86	86	children currently committed to post-adjudication secure
87	87	correctional facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice
88	88	Department;
89	89	(C) establish infrastructure in each county in
90	90	this state to provide alternative services related to delinquency
91	91	prevention and intervention, including alternative evidence-based
92	92	safe, local, and supportive placements for children who are not
93	93	able to stay at home;
94	94	(D) establish secure placement options for
95	95	children who are determined by a court to present a serious risk of
96	96	harm to self or others;
97	97	(E) increase local, evidence-based delinquency
98	98	responses and interventions in communities and schools; and
99	99	(F) end racial and disability disparities for
100	100	children in the juvenile justice system; and
101	101	(2) conduct a study on the feasibility of a staggered
102	102	closure of all post-adjudication secure correctional facilities
103	103	operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
104	104	(c) In developing the plan, the office shall consult with
105	105	experts and interested parties, including juvenile probation
106	106	departments.
107	107	(d) Not later than January 1, 2027, the office shall submit
108	108	a copy of the plan to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
109	109	speaker of the house of representatives, and each member of the
110	110	legislature.
111	111	(e) This section expires September 1, 2032.
112	112	SECTION 2. Not later than the 60th day after the effective
113	113	date of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
114	114	Services Commission shall appoint members to the Board of Youth
115	115	Health and Safety in accordance with Section 523.0403, Government
116	116	Code, as added by this Act. In appointing the initial members of
117	117	the board under this section, the executive commissioner shall
118	118	designate six members for terms expiring February 1, 2027, six
119	119	members for terms expiring February 1, 2029, and five members for
120	120	terms expiring February 1, 2031.
121	121	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.