85R15773 MAW-D
 
  By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 1041
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the review of certain privately operated residential
  facilities for persons released on parole or to mandatory
  supervision.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
               (1)  "Department" means the Texas Department of
  Criminal Justice.
               (2)  "Releasee" means a person released on parole or to
  mandatory supervision.
         SECTION 2.  REVIEW OF RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES. (a)  The
  department shall review instances in which a releasee has absconded
  from supervision while being housed in a facility that is:
               (1)  operated under contract with the department; and
               (2)  located in a county that has a population of
  800,000 or more and is located on the international border.
         (b)  The department shall analyze the factors that
  contribute to releasees absconding, including to what extent a rate
  of absconsion from a particular facility that exceeds the statewide
  average for all facilities is attributable to the types of
  releasees residing in the facility or to issues related to the staff
  of the facility.
         (c)  The department shall make recommendations regarding:
               (1)  improvements to the procedures used by the
  department to:
                     (A)  assess whether a releasee is likely to
  abscond from supervision; and
                     (B)  identify the appropriate residence for a
  releasee; and
               (2)  legislative changes to the department's
  contracting powers, including any provisions to:
                     (A)  determine the most suitable private vendors
  with which to contract for the housing, supervision, and
  programmatic support of releasees; and
                     (B)  establish minimum requirements for the
  staffing of any facility housing releasees under a contract with
  the department.
         SECTION 3.  REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2018, the
  department shall report the results of the review and analysis
  required by Section 2 of this Act and make recommendations to the
  governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
  representatives, and the standing legislative committees with
  primary jurisdiction over the department.
         SECTION 4.  ASSISTANCE BY BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES. On
  request of the department, the Board of Pardons and Paroles shall
  provide information to the department or otherwise assist the
  department in conducting the review and preparing the report
  required by this Act.
         SECTION 5.  EXPIRATION. This Act expires June 1, 2019.
         SECTION 6.  EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
  1, 2017.