Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 1301 amends the Government Code to create the Private Sector Prison Industries Oversight Authority to approve, certify, and oversee the operation of private sector prison industries programs in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth Commission, and county correctional facilities. Funds for the authority will be provided from payments by each participating prison industries program equal to the amount that would have been paid for unemployment insurance if the employees had been non-prison workers and from inmate contributions.

            The authority will require each private sector prison industries program to pay its inmate employees not less than the prevailing wage for that occupation and region and to meet federal requirements for providing workers' compensation to inmates injured while working. The authority may not grant certification to a program if it would result in the loss of existing jobs, and the number of inmate participants cannot be more than 1,500 at any time.