Bill > HB1631

This bill modifies the duration of detention for juveniles in the Texas legal system and mandates a comprehensive study on detention orders. Specifically, the bill reduces the maximum duration of initial and subsequent detention orders from 10 to 5 working days, with a slightly longer 7-day maximum for counties without a certified juvenile detention facility. Additionally, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department is required to conduct a detailed study on detention orders, collecting data on the time children spend detained, the intervals between detention hearings, and various demographic characteristics such as age, race, ethnicity, and sex. The department must prepare a report by December 1, 2026, with findings and recommendations, while ensuring no individual child is personally identifiable in the data. The changes to detention order duration will apply only to orders entered on or after the bill's effective date, which is immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote in the legislature, or September 1, 2025, if it does not. The study and reporting requirements will expire on September 1, 2027.

Justice

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1631