BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 932 By: Wentworth Criminal Justice 5-12-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Many state and county prisons and jails have weight-lifting equipment and accessories available for inmates to use. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 932 prohibits inmates in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice from using weight-lifting equipment while incarcerated. 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 Chapter 493, Government Code, by adding Section 493.014, as follows: Sec. 493.014. WEIGHT-LIFTING EQUIPMENT. (a) Prohibits the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) from allowing an inmate or defendant confined in a facility operated by the department access to weight-lifting equipment or accessories. Requires the department to inform each entity contracting with the department for the operation or management of a facility that inmates confined in the facility are not permitted to have access to weight-lifting equipment or accessories. (b) Requires the department to notify the General Services Commission that all weight-lifting equipment and accessories owned by the department are surplus property to be disposed of as provided by Article 9, Article 601b, V.T.C.S., except that proceeds received from disposition of the equipment and accessories under this section may be used only to pay cost incurred by the department in providing other recreational facilities and equipment to inmates and defendants in the custody of the department. SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 351C, Local Government Code, by adding Section 351.045, as follows: Sec. 351.045. WEIGHT-LIFTING EQUIPMENT. Prohibits the sheriff or jail administrator, as appropriate, from allowing a prisoner committed to the county jail access to weight-lifting equipment or accessories. SECTION 3. Amends Chapter 351, Local Government Code, by adding Section 351.105, as follows: Sec. 351.105. WEIGHT-LIFTING EQUIPMENT. Authorizes the sheriff to approve a contract to operate a facility under Section 351.101 or Section 351.102 only if the contract provides that the private vendor may not allow a prisoner confined in the facility access to weight-lifting equipment or accessories. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.