Bills that Create Research Initiatives or Data Analysis
The Texas criminal justice system is so vast and complex that many problems can only be confronted after long-term research to identify specific problems, solutions, and best practices. Several important studies were proposed this year in criminal justice bills, one of which was signed by the Governor.
1. HB 898 by McClendon, Relating to the creation of the Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight Committee.
Analysis: Creates the Criminal Justice Legislative Oversight Committee to review the cost-effectiveness, critical problems, and long-range needs of the criminal justice system and recommend strategies, policy priorities, and programs/legislation to address the issues.
2. HB 429 by Madden, Relating to a study of the expenses of health care for certain elderly inmates.
Analysis: Requires TDCJ to determine how many older (aged 55+) inmates require health services and are non-3g, as well as potentials costs saved by releasing these inmates.
3. HB 371 by Dukes, Relating to a study regarding the conversion of certain Class C misdemeanors to civil infractions.
Analysis: Requires the Office of Court Administration (OCA) to conduct a study to determine the feasibility, efficiency, and potential cost savings of converting certain Class C misdemeanors to civil infractions; also, not later than October 1, 2008, requires the OCA to file a report containing the results of the study and recommendations for legislation with the Governor and certain legislators.
Analysis: Requires the Client Information Interchange Standards Committee to (a) analyze and compare how state agencies with common clients manage and exchange information relating to those clients, (b) identify and rank in order of priority opportunities to improve an individual’s interaction with multiple state agencies, and (c) advise the Department of Information Resources on the development of standards that facilitate data sharing without requiring a state agency to make significant custom modifications to the agency’s information system or to incur significant expense.
Analysis: Provides that certain state agencies must coordinate their information systems to allow for the sharing of information to (a) facilitate the communication of information across agency lines and jurisdictional boundaries, (b) identify and coordinate the provision of necessary services to an individual, and (c) evaluate programs to assess the overall efficiency and efficacy of services delivered by the participating agencies.
Note: this would only apply to information held by or for a participating agency that is related to an individual who received or had received social services, mental health services, substance abuse services, or health services from that agency.