Full Legislative Agenda

POLICIES RELATED TO YOUTH JUSTICE

(1) Fund Front-End Agency Operations that Support Research-Based Practices and Prioritize the Safety and Security of Youth

(2) Improve Oversight of Youth in All Facilities in Which They are Held, and Decentralize Facilities for Better Youth Outcomes

(3) Return Children Under the Age of 18 to the State’s Juvenile Justice System, and Limit the Use of Secure Confinement for Children Under the Age of 13

(4) Reform Policies that Subject Children to Criminal Penalties for Engaging in Conduct that Would Not Be Deemed Criminal if Engaged in by Adults

(5) Eliminate the Offense of Failure to Attend School and Implement Appropriate Tools to Treat the Symptoms that Contribute to Truancy

(6) Equip School District Peace Officers and School Resource Officers with Adequate Training to Better Serve Texas Students

(7) Support a Meaningful Opportunity for Release for Youth Sentenced to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

(8) Improve the Juvenile Record Sealing Process And Limit Access to Juvenile Records

POLICIES RELATED TO PRETRIAL, DEFENSE & INNOCENCE

(1) Fund the Legislative Appropriations Request for the Texas Indigent Defense Commission

(2) Modify the Texas Government Code to Permit Probation Departments and Pretrial Services Entities to Supervise Pretrial Diversion Programs and Collect Fees for Participation

(3) Take Measures to Reduce Wrongful Convictions and Expedite Exonerations

(4) Support Pretrial Services Divisions

(5) Improve Due Process and Accountability In Criminal Asset Forfeiture

(6) Equip Police Officers with Body Cameras to Protect Officers from False Accusations of Misconduct and Protect the Public from Unreasonable Uses of Force

POLICIES RELATED TO SAFELY REDUCING INCARCERATION

(1) Fund Key Items in the Legislative Appropriations Request for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)

(2) Continue to Fund Investments in a Strong Probation System by Helping Probation Departments Fully Implement Localized “Commitment Reduction Plans” to Safely Reduce the Number of Individuals Who Fail Their Probation Terms and Who Are Sent to Prison

(3) Limit the Long-Term Consequences of Driving-Related Offenses

• Repeal Texas’ Driver Responsibility Program and Identify Alternative Funding Sources for Trauma Hospitals

• Modify Penalties for the Offense of Driving With an Invalid License

(4) Improve Texas’ State Jail System

• Incentivize Individuals with Certain Nonviolent State Jail Felony Offenses to Complete Probation

• Create an Advisory Committee to Examine the State Jail System and Make Recommendations for Its Improvement

(5) Reclassify Certain Nonviolent Misdemeanor and Felony Offenses

(6) Reduce Penalties for Minor Drug Possession Offenses

• Eliminate Penalties for the Smallest Drug Possession Offenses

• Reduce Penalties for Small Drug Possession Offenses

• Reduce Low-Level Marijuana Possession to a Class C Misdemeanor or Civil Penalty

• Allow Judges to Create Tailored Treatment Programs, as Necessary, to Address Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues

(7) Take a Major Step Towards Preventing Drug Overdoses Through a “Good Samaritan” Policy

(8) Limit Penalties for Prostitution Offenses and Reduce Barriers to Rehabilitation

(9) More Effectively Address Property Offenses

• Update Property Penalties in Light of Inflation

• Provide Property Owners Relief from Graffiti Through Cost-Effective Programming with Cleanup Services, and Reduce Graffiti Penalties to Lower Local Expenses

(10) Require the Issuance of a Summons for Certain Individuals Accused of Parole Violations

(11) Reduce the Number of Individuals with Mental Health Issues in Texas Corrections Facilities

(12) Allow Cross-Jurisdictional Supervision by Veterans Court Judges, Expand Potential Participation in Veterans Courts to Veterans Without Combat Experience, and Allow for Record Expungement Upon Successful Completion of Programming

POLICIES RELATED TO CONFINEMENT & REENTRY

(1) Fully Support the Legislative Appropriations Request for the Texas Commission on Jail Standards

(2) Fund Key Items in the Legislative Appropriations Request for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)

(3) Fund the Legislative Appropriations Request for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles

(4) Allow the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Provide the Timely Award of Credits for Participation in Self-Improvement Programming in State Jails, to Relieve the Current Burden on Judges

(5) Improve Access to Housing Among Returning Individuals by Protecting Landlords that Rent or Lease to Individuals with a Criminal History

(6) Promote Successful Reentry by Limiting the Lifelong Consequences of a Criminal Record

• Relieve Court Clerks of the Responsibility of Responding to Requests For Bulk Criminal Records and Instead Redirect Individuals and Entities to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) To Fulfill All Requests For Bulk Criminal Records

• Expand Eligibility Criteria for Orders of Nondisclosure, and Clean Up Certain Provisions Related to the Relief Granted through an Order of Nondisclosure

(7) Improve Access to Employment Among Returning Individuals to Ensure a More Successful Transition to the Community

• Implement Policies that Would Facilitate Individual Consideration of a Potential Employee’s Application by Delaying Background Checks for People with Criminal Histories

• Limit the Extent to Which Licensing Authorities Can Restrict Work-Ready Individuals with a Criminal Record

(8) Establish an Office of the Independent Ombudsman for the State Correctional System to Provide Oversight to the Grievance System and Ensure Compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)

(9) Require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to Provide Reentry Resources to Incarcerated Individuals

(10) Eliminate the Prohibition of SNAP Benefits to Applicants With a Drug Conviction

(11) Exempt Eligible Parents Who Have Been Incarcerated for at Least 90 Days from Accumulating Child Support Debt

(12) Prohibit Texas Jails and Prisons from Eliminating Face-to-Face Visitation or Accepting Commissions from Video Visitation Contracts