83R6205 EAH-F
 
  By: Farias H.B. No. 937
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to establishing a restorative justice pilot program for
  juvenile offenders in certain counties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 3, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Chapter 62 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 62. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PILOT PROGRAM FOR JUVENILE
  OFFENDERS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES
         Sec. 62.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Department" means the Texas Juvenile Justice
  Department.
               (2)  "Local department" means a local juvenile
  probation department.
               (3)  "Program" means the restorative justice pilot
  program created under this chapter for juvenile offenders.
               (4)  "Restorative justice" means an approach to justice
  that emphasizes the importance of an offender's reparation of harm
  caused to a victim by the offender's conduct that violates a penal
  law.  The term includes victim-offender mediation.
         Sec. 62.002.  APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER.  This chapter
  applies only to a local department located in a county:
               (1)  with a population of more than 1.5 million; and
               (2)  in which more than 75 percent of the population
  resides in a single municipality.
         Sec. 62.003.  ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PILOT
  PROGRAM. (a) The department shall establish a restorative justice
  pilot program for juvenile offenders to be implemented by a local
  department with funds appropriated for that purpose.  The program:
               (1)  must include a pretrial diversion program for
  children alleged to have engaged in conduct that violates a penal
  law of this state other than conduct that violates a penal law
  listed in Article 17.032(a), Code of Criminal Procedure; and
               (2)  may include a post-adjudication victim-offender
  mediation program for juvenile offenders adjudicated to have
  engaged in conduct that violates a penal law listed in Article
  17.032(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, for the purpose of
  determining appropriate restitution.
         (b)  In implementing the program, the department shall
  require a local department to:
               (1)  establish a resource network relating to
  restorative justice that includes representatives from the local
  department, the local dispute resolution center, the juvenile
  courts, the district attorney's office, and the local juvenile
  defense bar association;
               (2)  develop the program consistent with restorative
  justice principles and best practices for victim-offender
  mediation as identified by the department; and
               (3)  identify outcome measures that may be used to
  measure the effectiveness of the program.
         Sec. 62.004.  REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2014, a
  local department shall submit a report to the department regarding
  the program.  The report must include:
               (1)  a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of
  the program; and
               (2)  the local department's findings and
  recommendations regarding continuation or expansion of the
  program.
         Sec. 62.005.  PROGRAM FUNDING.  The department shall
  provide sufficient funds to a local department for the program and
  report, if funds are appropriated for purposes of this chapter.
         Sec. 62.006.  EXPIRATION. This chapter expires September 2,
  2015.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.