BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1696 By: Maxey (Turner) Criminal Justice 05-10-95 Senate Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) reports the highest case rates for tuberculosis in Texas, with approximately 15 percent of the TDCJ inmates having a positive skin test as compared with five percent of the general population. In 1994, in response to an outbreak of tuberculosis in a state prison facility for the mentally retarded, the Texas Department of Health recommended a more stringent screening process for inmates in our state. Currently, employees of the TDCJ are not included in the screening process. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1696 requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to enact tuberculosis screening for employees who request the screening. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 501.059, Government Code, by redesignated it as Section 501.060, as follows: Sec. 501.060. TUBERCULOSIS SCREENING. Redesignated from existing Section 501.059. (a) Makes no change. (b) Requires the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to provide tuberculosis screening for a person if the person is an employee of certain institutions and the person requests the screening. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.