Bill Text: TX HB2862 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to procedures related to juvenile cases.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/13 [HB2862 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HB2862-Introduced.html

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83R9980 ADM-F
By: McClendon H.B. No. 2862

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to procedures related to juvenile cases.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Articles 62.352(b) and (c), Code of Criminal
Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
(b) After a hearing under Article 62.351 or under a plea
agreement described by Article 62.355(b), the juvenile court may
enter an order:
(1) deferring decision on requiring registration
under this chapter until the respondent has completed treatment for
the respondent's sexual offense as a condition of probation or
while committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth
Commission]; or
(2) requiring the respondent to register as a sex
offender but providing that the registration information is not
public information and is restricted to use by law enforcement and
criminal justice agencies, the Council on Sex Offender Treatment,
and public or private institutions of higher education.
(c) If the court enters an order described by Subsection
(b)(1), the court retains discretion and jurisdiction to require,
or exempt the respondent from, registration under this chapter at
any time during the treatment or on the successful or unsuccessful
completion of treatment, except that during the period of deferral,
registration may not be required. Following successful completion
of treatment, the respondent is exempted from registration under
this chapter unless a hearing under this subchapter is held on
motion of the prosecuting attorney [state], regardless of whether
the respondent is 18 years of age or older, and the court determines
the interests of the public require registration. Not later than
the 10th day after the date of the respondent's successful
completion of treatment, the treatment provider shall notify the
juvenile court and prosecuting attorney of the completion.
SECTION 2. Section 54.02, Family Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (s) to read as follows:
(s) If a child is transferred to criminal court under this
section, only the petition for discretionary transfer, the order of
transfer, and the order of commitment, if any, are a part of the
district clerk's public record. All other documents filed in the
case must be transferred under seal and made available only to the
judge, prosecution, and defense.
SECTION 3. Section 54.04(b), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) At the disposition hearing, the juvenile court,
notwithstanding the Texas Rules of Evidence or Chapter 37, Code of
Criminal Procedure, may consider written reports from probation
officers, professional court employees, or professional
consultants in addition to the testimony of witnesses. On or
before the second day before the date of [Prior to] the disposition
hearing, the court shall provide the attorney for the child and the
prosecuting attorney with access to all written matter to be
considered by the court in disposition. The court may order
counsel not to reveal items to the child or the child's parent,
guardian, or guardian ad litem if such disclosure would materially
harm the treatment and rehabilitation of the child or would
substantially decrease the likelihood of receiving information
from the same or similar sources in the future.
SECTION 4. Section 54.0482, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (e), and (f) and adding Subsection (b-1)
to read as follows:
(a) A juvenile probation department that receives a payment
to a victim as the result of a juvenile court order for restitution
shall immediately:
(1) deposit the payment in an interest-bearing account
in the county treasury; and
(2) notify the victim [by certified mail, sent to the
last known address of the victim,] that a payment has been received.
(b-1) If the victim does not make a claim for payment on or
before the 30th day after the date of being notified under
Subsection (a), the juvenile probation department shall notify the
victim by certified mail, sent to the last known address of the
victim, that a payment has been received.
(e) If a victim claims a payment on or before the fifth
anniversary of the date on which the juvenile probation department
mailed a notice to the victim under Subsection (b-1) [(a)], the
juvenile probation department shall pay the victim the amount of
the original payment, less any interest earned while holding the
payment.
(f) If a victim does not claim a payment on or before the
fifth anniversary of the date on which the juvenile probation
department mailed a notice to the victim under Subsection (b-1)
[(a)], the department:
(1) has no liability to the victim or anyone else in
relation to the payment; and
(2) shall transfer the payment from the
interest-bearing account to a special fund of the county treasury,
the unclaimed juvenile restitution fund.
SECTION 5. Section 54.05(e), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(e) After the hearing on the merits or facts, the court may
consider written reports from probation officers, professional
court employees, or professional consultants in addition to the
testimony of other witnesses. On or before the second day before
the date of [Prior to] the hearing to modify disposition, the court
shall provide the attorney for the child and the prosecuting
attorney with access to all written matter to be considered by the
court in deciding whether to modify disposition. The court may
order counsel not to reveal items to the child or his parent,
guardian, or guardian ad litem if such disclosure would materially
harm the treatment and rehabilitation of the child or would
substantially decrease the likelihood of receiving information
from the same or similar sources in the future.
SECTION 6. Section 54.051, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b), (e), (e-2), (e-3), and (i) and adding
Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:
(b) The hearing must be conducted before the person's
[child's] 19th birthday, or before the person's 18th birthday if the
offense for which the person was placed on probation occurred
before September 1, 2011, and must be conducted in the same manner
as a hearing to modify disposition under Section 54.05.
(d-1) After a transfer to district court under Subsection
(d), only the initial petition, the initial grand jury approval,
the original judgment, and the transfer order are a part of the
district clerk's public record. All other documents filed in the
case must be transferred under seal and made available only to the
judge, prosecution, and defense.
(e) A district court that exercises jurisdiction over a
person [child] transferred under Subsection (d) shall place the
person [child] on community supervision under Article 42.12, Code
of Criminal Procedure, for the remainder of the person's [child's]
probationary period and under conditions consistent with those
ordered by the juvenile court.
(e-2) If a person [child] who is placed on community
supervision under this section violates a condition of that
supervision or if the person [child] violated a condition of
probation ordered under Section 54.04(q) and that probation
violation was not discovered by the state before the person's
[child's] 19th birthday, the district court shall dispose of the
violation of community supervision or probation, as appropriate, in
the same manner as if the court had originally exercised
jurisdiction over the case. If the judge revokes community
supervision, the judge may reduce the prison sentence to any length
without regard to the minimum term imposed by Section 23(a),
Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.
(e-3) The time that a person [child] serves on probation
ordered under Section 54.04(q) is the same as time served on
community supervision ordered under this section for purposes of
determining the person's [child's] eligibility for early discharge
from community supervision under Section 20, Article 42.12, Code of
Criminal Procedure.
(i) If the juvenile court exercises jurisdiction over a
person who is 18 or 19 years of age or older, as applicable, under
Section 51.041 or 51.0412, the court or jury may, if the person is
otherwise eligible, place the person on probation under Section
54.04(q). The juvenile court shall set the conditions of probation
and immediately transfer supervision of the person to the
appropriate court exercising criminal jurisdiction under
Subsection (e).
SECTION 7. Sections 54.11(b) and (d), Family Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(b) The court shall notify the following of the time and
place of the hearing:
(1) the person to be transferred or released under
supervision;
(2) the parents of the person;
(3) any legal custodian of the person, including the
Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth Commission];
(4) the office of the prosecuting attorney that
represented the state in the juvenile delinquency proceedings;
(5) the victim of the offense that was included in the
delinquent conduct that was a ground for the disposition, or a
member of the victim's family; and
(6) any other person who has filed a written request
with the court to be notified of a release hearing with respect to
the person to be transferred or released under supervision.
(d) At a hearing under this section the court may consider
written reports and supporting documents from probation officers,
professional court employees, professional consultants, or
employees of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department [Youth
Commission], in addition to the testimony of witnesses. On or
before the fifth day [At least one day] before the date of the
hearing, the court shall provide the attorney for the person to be
transferred or released under supervision with access to all
written matter to be considered by the court. All written matter is
per se admissible in evidence at the hearing.
SECTION 8. Section 61.0031(d), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) The juvenile court to which the order has been
transferred shall require the parent or other eligible person to
appear before the court to notify the person of the existence and
terms of the order, unless the permanent supervision hearing under
Section 51.073(c) has been waived. Failure to do so renders the
order unenforceable.
SECTION 9. Section 221.003(c), Human Resources Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(c) Any statement made by a child and any mental health data
obtained from the child during the administration of the mental
health screening instrument or the initial risk and needs
assessment instruments under this section is not admissible against
the child at any adjudication [other] hearing. The person
administering the mental health screening instrument or initial
risk and needs assessment instruments shall inform the child that
any statement made by the child and any mental health data obtained
from the child during the administration of the instrument is not
admissible against the child at any adjudication [other] hearing.
SECTION 10. (a) Sections 54.02(s) and 54.051(d-1), Family
Code, as added by this Act, apply to a transfer hearing commenced
under Section 54.02 or 54.051, Family Code, as applicable, on or
after the effective date of this Act. A transfer hearing commenced
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
effect on the date the hearing was commenced, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
(b) Sections 54.04(b), 54.05(e), and 54.11(d), Family Code,
as amended by this Act, apply only to conduct that occurs on or
after the effective date of this Act. Conduct that occurs before the
effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect at the
time the conduct occurred, and the former law is continued in effect
for that purpose. For the purposes of this section, conduct occurs
before the effective date of this Act if any element of the conduct
occurred before that date.
SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.