The House Committee on County Affairs interim report to the 88th Legislature covers border-related issues, cost recovery, mental health services in TCJS. For more information see the full report here.
Charge 1. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature, including HB 1545, HB 1906, and HB 2073.
- Review the implementation status of the Commission’s recommended changes under HB 1545, with a particular interest in the budgetary forecast related to inmate complaint resolution and inspector workload.
- Study the potential for sheriffs to request an inspection no earlier than 12-months following a previous inspection. This would allow Sheriffs to maintain ongoing protocols and incentivize staff to adhere to standards, while also limiting the strain on resources as the commission continues implementation of the risked-based inspection schedule.
- Study ongoing workforce struggles at the commission and in local jails with an interest in recruitment and retention protocols.
- Study the impacts of Operation Lone Star on the counties where law enforcement and military operations are taking place with an interest in the fiscal impact on county jails. This study may include a review of operations at the temporary processing facilities converted from TDCJ facilities into county jail facilities.
- Study the specific costs related to implementation for a small, medium, and large county. The study should include a look at court cost allocation by county and whether the fees collected from those court costs could be used as a source to offset indigent defendant monitoring. The study should also include an updated audit of indigent defense in the state for a greater understanding of the burdens facing counties under current law for indigent defense.
- Study the efficacy of GPS-monitors and the cost difference notifications for a probation officer vs notifications for a victim and a probation officer. The study should examine ease of use and timeliness of notifications sent to victims and probation officers. It should also include a look at competitive pricing among vendors for these services.
- Review the guidelines surrounding communal living as it relates to firefighters, who often share habitation areas while on duty.
- Review expanding the language to include state-employed first responders not covered by a political subdivision, as well as broaden the inclusion of other county employees who do not fit the initial definition of first responders.
- Review the conflicts between SB 22, which may presume a first responder contracted a virus on duty, and HB 2073, which stipulates that an employee must use available sick leave and paid time off if a virus is contracted outside of official duties.
- Review and clarify protocols for determining when and how a defined first responder contracted a virus that would qualify for the quarantine protocols under HB 2073.
Charge 2. Complete a study of assigned charges related to the Texas border issued in June 2021.
- Continue to monitor the impact on county jails and ensure that communities within the Operation Lone Star area of engagement have adequate resources for supporting border security and law enforcement needs.
Charge 3. Study statutorily mandated services provided by sheriffs and constables and determine whether fee schedules are set at sufficient levels to allow for cost recovery without placing undue burdens on recipients of those services.
- Continue to monitor the impact on county jails and ensure that communities within the Operation Lone Star area of engagement have adequate resources for supporting border security and law enforcement needs.
Charge 4. Mental Health Services in Texas Criminal Justice.
- Direct the Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, or other appropriate entity, to evaluate existing partnerships between county jails and LMHAs and make recommendations to expand these partnerships. Many programs address funding challenges by co-locating the LMHAs within county jails.
- LMHAs are required to respond whenever there is a suicide crisis. It is unclear what the response times are for each county, or what a uniform standard should be for those regional response times. A review of response times across TCJS-regulated facilities will provide clarity on current industry standards.
- Lawmakers should study and consider options for expanding the Mental Health Deputies program.
- Evaluate the transition process from county jails to TDCJ and from TDCJ to release and review any potential improvements to close gaps in continuity of care.
- Policymakers should study the barriers limiting access to telemedicine services n counties that do not have access to 24/7 mental health services to county inmates