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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of an advisory committee on |
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preventable deaths in county jails and a report concerning county |
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jail safety. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 511.0082 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 511.0082. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PREVENTABLE DEATHS. |
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(a) The commission shall establish an advisory committee to make |
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recommendations on the reduction of preventable deaths in county |
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jails. The commission shall appoint not more than 11 members to the |
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advisory committee. The advisory committee must include: |
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(1) one member who is a family member of a person who |
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died in a county jail in this state; |
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(2) one member with expertise in jail conditions, jail |
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standards, and deaths in custody who does not have any association |
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with law enforcement or an agency of this state; |
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(3) one criminal defense attorney; |
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(4) one medical examiner; |
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(5) two members who represent the public; and |
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(6) any other member whom the commission determines to |
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be appropriate. |
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(b) The advisory committee described by Subsection (a) |
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shall: |
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(1) meet monthly; |
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(2) collect and review reports of deaths in custody |
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after an investigation of the death has concluded, including |
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reviewing any evidence as determined necessary by the advisory |
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committee; |
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(3) identify deaths in custody that could have been |
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prevented; and |
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(4) make recommendations to the commission regarding |
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rules, policies, and training needed to reduce preventable deaths |
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in county jails. |
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(c) Chapter 2110 does not apply to the size, composition, or |
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duration of the advisory committee described by Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 511.00904 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 511.00904. ANNUAL REPORT ON EMERGING ISSUES IN JAIL |
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SAFETY, SECURITY, AND COMPLIANCE. The commission shall annually |
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prepare and publish on the commission's Internet website a report |
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summarizing emerging issues in county jail safety, security, and |
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compliance, including data and recommendations to reduce |
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preventable deaths. The report must include the following |
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information: |
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(1) a summary of each death that occurred in a county |
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jail, including a detailed description of each death identified as |
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preventable by the advisory committee established under Section |
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511.0082 and any responses by county officials regarding the death; |
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(2) a statistical report on deaths that occurred in a |
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county jail in the reporting year compared against the preceding |
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five years, disaggregated by: |
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(A) cause of death; |
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(B) county in which the death occurred; |
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(C) race, ethnicity, sex, and age of the inmate |
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who died; |
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(D) whether the inmate who died was identified |
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for health, mental health, or intellectual disability disorder |
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consideration; |
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(E) whether the death was a preventable death; |
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(F) whether the jail was issued a notice of |
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noncompliance or provided with technical assistance; and |
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(G) whether force was used on the inmate before |
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the inmate's death; |
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(3) the number and nature of complaints made regarding |
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county jails, including complaints regarding a violation of any |
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required ratio of correctional officers to inmates; |
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(4) recommendations made by the advisory committee |
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established under Section 511.0082; |
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(5) turnover and vacancy rates for county jail staff, |
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including medical staff, disaggregated by jail and medical bed |
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count at the jail; |
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(6) a list of county jails in noncompliance and the |
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nature of the noncompliance related to commission rules, |
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requirements, and standards, including the requirements of Article |
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16.22, Code of Criminal Procedure; and |
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(7) a list of county jails that have been granted a |
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variance from commission rules and a description of the variances. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than October 1, 2025, the Commission on |
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Jail Standards shall appoint the members of the advisory committee |
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on preventable deaths as required by Section 511.0082, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |