By: Hudson H.B. No. 143 73R1649 DRH-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to conjugal visitation of inmates in the institutional 1-3 division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 501.019 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 501.019. CONJUGAL VISITS. (a) The board shall adopt 1-8 rules governing eligibility of married inmates confined in the 1-9 institutional division of the department to receive private, 1-10 conjugal visits in a division facility from the inmate's spouse. 1-11 The board shall also adopt rules governing procedures for the 1-12 visits. 1-13 (b) Rules adopted under this section may require an inmate 1-14 requesting a conjugal visit to submit proof of the inmate's 1-15 marriage to the visitor in the form of: 1-16 (1) a marriage license or certificate indicating that 1-17 a marriage ceremony was conducted and executed as provided by the 1-18 law of the state of issuance; or 1-19 (2) evidence of the existence of an informal or 1-20 common-law marriage in a state the law of which recognizes informal 1-21 or common-law marriages. 1-22 (c) If an inmate requests a conjugal visit from a person who 1-23 the inmate claims is the inmate's spouse in an informal marriage 1-24 under Texas law, the institutional division may require proof of 2-1 the informal marriage in the manner provided by Section 1.91, 2-2 Family Code. 2-3 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-9 passage, and it is so enacted.