Sec. 76.003. COMMUNITY JUSTICE COUNCIL. (a) A community justice council may be established by the commissioners court of a county, unless a board or council that was in existence on September 1, 1991, is performing duties substantially similar to those imposed on a community justice council under this section. The council shall provide continuing policy guidance and direction for criminal justice planning, programs, and initiatives.

(b) A council may consist of the following persons or their designees:

(1) a sheriff of a county served by the department, chosen by the sheriffs of the counties to be served by the department;

(2) a county commissioner or a county judge from a county served by the department, chosen by the county commissioners and county judges of the counties served by the department;

(3) a city council member of the most populous municipality in a county served by the department, chosen by the members of the city councils of cities served by the department;

(4) not more than two state legislators elected from a county served by the department, or in a county with a population of one million or more to be served by the department, not more than one state senator and one state representative elected from the county, chosen by the state legislators elected from the county or counties served by the department;

(5) the presiding judge from a judicial district served by the department, chosen by the district judges from the judicial districts served by the department;

(6) a judge of a statutory county court exercising criminal jurisdiction in a county served by the department, chosen by the judges of statutory county courts with criminal jurisdiction in the counties served by the department;

(7) a county attorney with criminal jurisdiction from a county served by the department, chosen by the county attorneys with criminal jurisdiction from the counties served by the department;

(8) a district attorney or criminal district attorney from a judicial district served by the department, chosen by the district attorneys or criminal district attorneys from the judicial districts served by the department;

(9) an elected member of the board of trustees of an independent school district in a county served by the department, chosen by the members of the boards of trustees of independent school districts located in counties served by the department; and

(10) the department director.

(c) The community justice council shall appoint a community justice task force to provide support staff for the development of a community justice plan. The task force may consist of any number of members, but should include:

(1) the county or regional director of the Texas Department of Human Services with responsibility for the area served by the department;

(2) the chief of police of the most populous municipality served by the department;

(3) the chief juvenile probation officer of the juvenile probation office serving the most populous area served by the department;

(4) the superintendent of the most populous school district served by the department;

(5) the supervisor of the Department of Public Safety region closest to the department, or the supervisor's designee;

(6) the county or regional director of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation with responsibility for the area served by the department;

(7) a substance abuse treatment professional appointed by the Council of Governments serving the area served by the department;

(8) the department director;

(9) the local or regional representative of the parole division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with responsibility for the area served by the department;

(10) the representative of the Texas Workforce Commission with responsibility for the area served by the department;

(11) the representative of the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services with responsibility for the area served by the department;

(12) a licensed attorney who practices in the area served by the department and whose practice consists primarily of criminal law;

(13) a court administrator, if one serves the area served by the department;

(14) a representative of a community service organization that provides adult treatment, educational, or vocational services to the area served by the department;

(15) a representative of an organization in the area served by the department that is actively involved in issues relating to defendants' rights, chosen by the county commissioners and county judges of the counties served by the department; and

(16) an advocate for rights of victims of crime and awareness of issues affecting victims.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 7.11, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 9.02(a), 9.03(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 255 (H.B. 1326), Sec. 2, eff. May 30, 2005.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 25.064, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1045 (H.B. 3691), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1074 (S.B. 1055), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1051 (H.B. 1930), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2015.