By Hightower                                          H.B. No. 2278
       74R5264 GWK-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the transfer of certain facilities from the Texas
    1-3  Department of Criminal Justice to other state agencies.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 496, Government Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Section 496.0031 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 496.0031.  TRANSFER OF FACILITIES.  (a)  The department
    1-8  may transfer a correctional facility to another agency of the
    1-9  state, and the agency receiving the facility subsequently may
   1-10  transfer the facility back to the department.
   1-11        (b)  A transfer under this section requires the agreement of
   1-12  the board and the governing body of the agency receiving the
   1-13  correctional facility or returning the correctional facility to the
   1-14  department, both as to the identity of the facility to be
   1-15  transferred and to the method of transfer.
   1-16        (c)  An employee of the department who is employed at a
   1-17  correctional facility transferred under this section is entitled to
   1-18  priority for employment and training by the agency that receives
   1-19  transfer of the correctional facility.  If as a result of the
   1-20  priority established by this subsection, an employee of the
   1-21  department becomes an employee of the agency that receives transfer
   1-22  of the correctional facility, the employee, on employment with the
   1-23  receiving agency, is entitled to retain the salary and benefits
   1-24  available to employees of the department.
    2-1        (d)  In this section, "transfer" means to convey title to,
    2-2  lease, or otherwise convey the beneficial use of a correctional
    2-3  facility and land appurtenant to the facility.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    2-5        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-6  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-7  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-8  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-9  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
   2-10                       COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
   2-11        Amend H.B. No. 2278 as follows:
   2-12        (1)  On page 1, by striking lines 16-24.
   2-13        (2)  On page 2, line 1, strike "(d)", and substitute "(c)".
   2-14                                                              Telford