By:  Culberson                                        H.B. No. 2353
       72S40019 CLG-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to security measures concerning certain inmates released
    1-3  from prison on parole, mandatory supervision, or conditional pardon
    1-4  and residing in certain halfway houses and to the distribution of
    1-5  gate money to inmates on release from prison.
    1-6        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-7        SECTION 1.  Article 42.18, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-8  amended by adding Section 28 to read as follows:
    1-9        Sec. 28.  Each halfway house under contract with the board
   1-10  under Section 8(i) of this article shall provide to a person who
   1-11  resides in the halfway house transportation for any purpose for
   1-12  which the person is authorized to leave the halfway house.  A
   1-13  halfway house may not satisfy the requirements of this section by
   1-14  providing a resident with money for public transportation.
   1-15        SECTION 2.  Section 501.015(b), Government Code, is amended
   1-16  to read as follows:
   1-17        (b)  When an inmate is discharged or is released on parole,
   1-18  mandatory supervision, or conditional pardon, the inmate is
   1-19  entitled to receive $200 from the institutional division as
   1-20  provided by this subsection.  <The department shall give the inmate
   1-21  $100 on discharge.>  A parole officer to whom the inmate is
   1-22  required to report by the pardons and paroles division shall give
   1-23  the inmate $200 <the remaining $100> if the inmate reports to the
   1-24  officer at the district parole office the officer is assigned to
    2-1  or, if applicable, the halfway house the inmate is transferred to
    2-2  under Section 8(i), Article 42.18, Code of Criminal Procedure,
    2-3  within the time specified by the board.  If an inmate is released
    2-4  and is not required by the pardons and paroles division to report
    2-5  to a parole officer or is authorized by the pardons and paroles
    2-6  division to report to a location outside this state, the
    2-7  institutional division shall give the inmate $200 on discharge or
    2-8  release.
    2-9        SECTION 3.  The changes made to Section 501.015(b),
   2-10  Government Code, by this Act apply only to an inmate who is
   2-11  discharged or is released on parole, mandatory supervision, or
   2-12  conditional pardon on or after the effective date of this Act.   An
   2-13  inmate who is discharged or released before the effective date of
   2-14  this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the
   2-15  effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for
   2-16  this purpose.
   2-17        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-22  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-23  passage, and it is so enacted.