Encourage Economic and Workforce Development by Reducing Re-Entry Barriers 

Highlights from Texas ’ 81^st Legislature 

This session, our policy-makers made an historic, bipartisan showing of support for policies that will assist men and women in their re-integration efforts, providing those who are returning to our communities with resources for personal responsibility that will more successfully avert them from the criminal justice system in the future. With the tools to effectively and healthily manage their lives, formerly incarcerated individuals will be empowered to participate in society in a fulfilling and productive way, to the benefit of public safety, family cohesion, local economies, and public health. 

We would like to commend the work and support of the Re-entry Roundtables throughout the state (Austin, Bexar, and Tarrant), as well as the efforts of other county advocates from Bexar and Tarrant Counties and the Texas Conference of Urban Counties.  

• HB 963 (Guillen); Allows formerly incarcerated individuals to confirm their eligibility status for an occupational license before committing to and preparing for an educational program. Note: This bill includes an amendment that will increase employment opportunities for nonviolent, non 3-g offenders if they are eligible to obtain an occupational license and if their past crime is not related to the occupational license they are trying to obtain. – Signed by the Governor; effective immediately!  

• HB 1711 (S. Turner, Guillen, A. Martinez, Veasey, Marquez); Creates a comprehensive statewide reintegration program for individuals transitioning from prison back into our communities. Note: An amendment was added to this bill that will establish a Reentry Task Force, which would also take into consideration county and city reentry efforts, as well as improve the state’s likelihood of obtaining federal Second Chance funding. – Signed by the Governor! Effective immediately, but only if a specific appropriation for the implementation of the Act is provided in a general appropriations act of the 81^st Legislature. 

• HB 2161 (S. Turner, Marquez); Gives individuals re-entering society a personal identification certificate provided by TDCJ, allowing individuals to more easily obtain an ID or drivers license. – Signed by the Governor!  

• HB 2808 (Thompson); Prohibits a licensing authority from considering a person to have been convicted of an offense if the person entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or if the judge deferred and ultimately dismissed the proceedings. – Signed by the Governor; effective immediately! 

• HB 3226 (Madden, Edwards, McReynolds, Christian); Establishes a housing voucher program to address the lack of housing that many paroled individuals face when leaving prison. – Signed by the Governor; effective immediately!