Bill > HB2943

This bill addresses post-release housing for inmates by making several key changes to existing law. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will now be allowed to provide payment for temporary post-release housing that meets specific conditions, including standards developed by a newly established Reentry Housing Task Force. The department is required to actively seek grants to expand temporary housing payments as an alternative to residential correctional facilities and will prioritize using these payments to reduce the average number of days inmates are housed in such facilities. The bill creates a new Reentry Housing Task Force composed of representatives from various state agencies and nonprofit organizations, which will evaluate strategies for improving post-release housing, develop national standards for recovery housing, and create recommendations to address the risk of homelessness for releasees. The task force must submit a comprehensive report by December 1, 2026, and will be dissolved on September 1, 2027. Additionally, the department must implement a new post-release housing planning procedure by December 1, 2025, which includes early identification and assessment of inmates without established housing plans, and will be required to submit an annual report detailing their housing efforts, including the number of inmates without housing, efforts to reduce time between parole approval and release, and the average number of days releasees are housed in correctional facilities. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB2943