By:  Stiles                                            H.B. No. 659
       73R2856 GWK-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the sale of prison-made articles and products.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 497.024, Government Code, is amended to
    1-5  read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 497.024.  Priorities.  The institutional division shall
    1-7  administer this subchapter first to fulfill the needs of agencies
    1-8  of the state for articles and products produced under this
    1-9  subchapter, <and> second to fulfill the needs of political
   1-10  subdivisions for the articles and products, and third to sell the
   1-11  articles and products to the general public.
   1-12        SECTION 2.  Section 497.025, Government Code, is amended to
   1-13  read as follows:
   1-14        Sec. 497.025.  Purchase of Equipment and Supplies<;
   1-15  Employment of Personnel>.  To provide articles and products <to an
   1-16  agency of the state or a political subdivision of the state>, the
   1-17  institutional division may purchase equipment, raw materials, and
   1-18  supplies in the manner provided by law.
   1-19        SECTION 3.  Section 497.027, Government Code, is amended by
   1-20  adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
   1-21        (d)  The general public may purchase articles and products
   1-22  under this subchapter directly from the institutional division.
   1-23        SECTION 4.  Section 497.030, Government Code, is amended to
   1-24  read as follows:
    2-1        Sec. 497.030.  Catalogs.  The institutional division shall
    2-2  prepare catalogs that accurately and completely describe articles
    2-3  and products produced under this subchapter.  The institutional
    2-4  division shall send copies of the catalogs to all state agencies
    2-5  and make the catalogs available to political subdivisions and the
    2-6  general public.
    2-7        SECTION 5.  Section 497.035, Government Code, is repealed.
    2-8        SECTION 6.  The repeal by Section 5 of this Act of Section
    2-9  497.035, Government Code, does not apply to an offense committed
   2-10  under that section before the effective date of this Act.  An
   2-11  offense committed before the effective date of this Act is covered
   2-12  by Section 497.035, Government Code, as it existed on the date on
   2-13  which the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in
   2-14  effect for this purpose.
   2-15        SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-16  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-17  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-18  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-19  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-20  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-21  passage, and it is so enacted.