BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 896 By: Sylvester Turner 04-18-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Texas is in the midst of an unprecedented boom in prison construction providing economic opportunity to hundreds of contractors and subcontractors. Repeat offenders occupy a large portion of this prison space. Whether a released inmate finds a job ranks high in the factors affecting the individual's potential for recidivism. Some number of churches, businesses, concerned individuals, and certain state programs are trying to address the problem. Their number suffers by comparison, however, with the thousands of additional prisoners which the state will soon be prepared to house. The state needs to find ways to encourage wide-spread interest in helping released inmates find jobs. Those who benefit monetarily from the expansion of the prison systems hold the most obvious possibility for the state to encourage support for finding these jobs. This bill would allow the Board of Criminal Justice to structure a system to consider participation in jobs for released inmate programs when awarding contracts. For security reasons, some of the contractors might not find it practical to directly employ released felons. However, there are many ways they could contribute to this effort. They could sponsor a job listing for their local chamber of commerce, or contribute volunteer time to recruit potential employers, or contribute funds to non-profit groups involved in securing jobs for inmates, or do any of a hundred creative things. PURPOSE This bill would encourage good-faith efforts to support increased job opportunities for released inmates by considering such efforts among the factors in awarding contracts. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly grants additional rulemaking authority to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, in SECTION 1, Chapter 493, Section 493.015, Government Code. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 493, Government Code, by adding Section 493. 015 as follows: (a) Requires the Board of Criminal Justice to require contractors or vendors bidding on contracts to submit with the bid, information concerning any: (1) programs they operate or support to employ released felons in the business of the contractor or vendor; (2) financial contributions previously made, or that they intend to make to programs that have as a goal the employment of released felons; and (3) programs conducted for the same purpose or financed contributions made to such causes by their anticipated subcontractors. (b) States that this section applies only to contractors or vendors bidding on a contract to provide goods or services to the department if: (1) the amount of the contract is for $100,000 or more; or, (2) had $100,000 or more in contracts from the department in the twelve months preceding the contract sought. (c) Allows exception to normal bid procedure in awarding contracts, to consider support of jobs for released inmates. (d) Requires the board to adopt rules relating to the evaluation by the department of information provided under subsection (a), and the weight that the board gives the information described by subsection (c) in awarding a contract. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 896 was considered by the Committee on Corrections in a public hearing on April 18, 1995. The Chair recognized Representative Sylvester Turner to explain the bill. The bill was reported favorably, without amendment, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed by a record vote of 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, and 1 absent.