Senate Committee on Criminal Justice

Committee Information

CHAIR

VICE-CHAIR

MEMBERS

 

CLERK:
Haylee Plumley

TEL:
(512) 463-0345

LOCATION:
Sam Houston Building, 470

Video/Audio

— Archives

Reports

Interim Charges

  • Eliminating Contraband in Prisons: Examine the issue of contraband entering Texas prisons. Identify contraband detection systems and make recommendations to leverage technology to combat prison contraband. Evaluate data linking contraband to inmate deaths and overdoses in prison units. Make recommendations to eliminate contraband in Texas prisons.
  • Regulating the Role of Reserve Officers: Examine the reserve peace officer practices used in departments across Texas to assist with policing duties in their respective jurisdictions. Consider the number of reserve officers commissioned in jurisdictions across Texas relative to the policing needs of the community. Make recommendations to ensure reserve peace officers maximize their duty to public safety by first prioritizing the departments that issue their commissions.
  • Addressing Juvenile Violence: Study the growing violence among juveniles both in communities and state and county secure facilities. Examine the effectiveness of juvenile diversion programs, sentencing laws, and whether determinate sentences for all “3G” violent juvenile offenders would better ensure public safety. Make recommendations to improve juvenile outcomes and protect the public.
  • Protecting the Public From Violent Offenders Found Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity: Examine the policies and procedures of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) regarding murderers, robbers, rapists, and other violent offenders found not guilty by reason of insanity and entrusted to HHSC for mental health treatment in lieu of prison. Evaluate the community supervision recommendations made by HHSC to the courts for those found not guilty by reason of insanity, and whether those recommendations prioritize public safety. Make recommendations to emphasize and ensure public safety for victims and the community.
  • Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice passed by the 89th Legislature, as well as relevant agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction. Specifically, make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, or complete implementation of the following:
    • Senate Bill 20 (89th Legislature), relating to the creation of the criminal offense of possession, promotion, or production of certain obscene visual material appearing to depict a child;
    • Senate Bill 441 (89th Legislature), relating to criminal and civil liability related to sexually explicit media and artificial intimate visual material; creating a criminal offense; increasing a criminal penalty;
    • Senate Bill 1621 (89th Legislature), relating to prosecution and punishment of certain criminal offenses prohibiting sexually explicit visual material involving depictions of children, computer-generated children, or other persons; creating criminal offenses; increasing criminal penalties; and
    • House Bill 1443 (89th Legislature), relating to creating the criminal offense of promotion or possession of a child-like sex doll.
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