Senate Bill 44 seeks to create a mechanism through which individuals and programs working with family violence offenders a form of compliance with the Battering Intervention and Prevention Guidelines

Texas. Department of Criminal Justice. Community Assistance Justice Division.

Portal to Texas History

                       
 
 
 
   
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
1 
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Community Justice Assistance Division 
Senate Bill 44 
Introduction 
The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) pursued the passage of this legislation in order to establish 
a system that would create a mechanism through which all individuals or programs working with family
violence offenders would need to be accredited as functioning in compliance with the Battering Interven-
tion and Prevention Project (BIPP) Guidelines.  You may obtain a copy of these guidelines at www.tdcj.state. 
tx.us/cjad/cjad-home.htm under the fact sheets and publications section or by contacting Eduardo Montiel at 
512-463-9465. 
Senate Bill 44 
This bill relates to the provision of intervention or counseling services to certain persons who have committed 
family violence and to a process for accrediting those services. 
Beginning September 1, 2008, if a court grants community supervision to a person convicted of an offense 
involving family violence, as defined by Section 71.004, Texas Family Code, the court may require the 
defendant, at the direction of the community supervision and corrections department officer, to attend 
either a:
 1. Battering Intervention and Prevention Program, defined by Texas Code of Criminal 
Procedure, Article 42.141; 
or
 2. A program or provider that has begun the accreditation process. 
If an accredited program or provider is not available, the defendant may attend counseling sessions with a 
licensed counselor, social worker or other professional who has completed family violence intervention 
training that is approved by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice -Community Justice Assistance 
Division (TDCJ-CJAD). 
Beginning September 1, 2009, a BIPP program or provider serving as a referral option for the courts must 
be accredited. 
Adoption of the Battering Intervention and Prevention Project Guidelines 
No later than April 1, 2008, TDCJ-CJAD shall adopt guidelines required by Section 4A, Article 42.141, 
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and shall accredit programs and providers providing battering 
intervention and prevention services that are conforming to those guidelines. 
Before adopting program guidelines, the licensing authorities described by Chapters 152, 501, 502, 503, 
and 505, Texas Occupations Code1, will be notified by TDCJ-CJAD that it is considering adopting program 
guidelines and invite the licensing authorities to comment on the program guidelines. 
TDCJ-CJAD and TCFV are in the process of identifying which Battering Intervention and Prevention 
Project (BIPP) Guidelines will be adopted for use with the accreditation of programs that provide direct 
services to family violence offenders. 
TDCJ-CJAD and TCFV are accomplishing this task through committees comprised of professionals 
from Community Supervision and Corrections Departments, TDCJ-Parole Division, family violence 
advocates, batterers programs, and the licensing authorities of Chapters 152, 501, 502, 503, and 505 of
the Texas Occupations Code. 
1Texas Occupations Code: 152 – State Board of Medical Examiners, 501 – Psychologists, 502 – Marriage & Family
Therapists, 503 – Licensed Professional Counselors, and 505 – Social Workers. 
209 West 14th Street, Ste. 400 • Austin, Texas 78701 • (512) 305-9381                                  CJAD07372 
                       
 
 2 
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Community Justice Assistance Division 
Accreditation Process 
TDCJ-CJAD is also in the process of adopting an accreditation process to begin September 1, 2008. This task 
is also being accomplished through committees comprised of professionals from Community Supervision and 
Corrections Departments, TDCJ-Parole Division, family violence advocates, batterers programs, and the licensing 
authorities of chapters 152, 501, 502, 503, and 505 of the Texas Occupations Code. 
Currently, TDCJ-CJAD funds 27 Battering Intervention & Prevention Programs. They are located in the 
following jurisdictions: 
County Program Telephone # 
Bastrop Adult Violence Intervention Program 512-321-7760 
Bell Diversified Family Counseling Services, Inc. 254-690-2004 
Bexar Violence Intervention Program 210-930-3669 
Bowie Domestic Violence Prevention 903-794-4000 
Cameron Friendship of Women, Inc.-BIPP 956-546-6694 
Collin Hopes Door-BIPP 972-422-2911 
Dallas The Family Place-BIPP 214-692-8295 
Dallas New Beginning Center-BIPP 972-276-0423 
Denton Denton County Friends of the Family, Inc.-BIPP 940-387-5131 
El Paso Center Against Family Violence-BIPP 915-562-0077 
Fort Bend Wholistic Counseling Services, Inc. 281-403-0838 
Grayson Domestic Abuse Intervention Project 903-892-8595 
Hale Hale County Crisis Center, Inc.-BIPP 806-293-9772 
Harris Battering Intervention Services of AVDA 713-224-9911 
Hidalgo Women Together, Inc.-Men Against Violence 956-664-2865 
Hutchison Panhandle Crisis Center-BIPP 806-435-5008 
Jefferson Violence Intervention & Education 409-833-2668 
Kerr Hill Country Crisis Council-FOCUS 830-257-7088 
Lamar Family Haven Crisis & Resource Center-BIPP 903-784-6901 
Lubbock Women’s Protective Services-BIPP 806-748-5292 
Midland Project ADAM 432-522-2700 
Nueces Women’s Shelter of South Texas-BIPP 361-884-2900 
Potter Family Support Services-BIPP 806-342-2500 
Smith Violence Intervention Network 903-579-2500 
Tarrant SafeHaven of Tarrant County-BIPP 817-536-3809 
Travis LifeWorks-Family Violence Diversion Network 512-735-2100 
Victoria Mid-Coast Family Services-BIPP 361-575-7842 
209 West 14th Street, Ste. 400 • Austin, Texas 78701 • (512) 305-9381                                  CJAD07372


Senate Bill 44

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Senate Bill 44

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