By Brown S.B. No. 837 74R5871 PEP-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to television viewing by inmates and defendants in the 1-3 custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Section 493.015 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 493.015. USE OF TELEVISION. The board shall adopt 1-8 rules to prohibit an inmate or defendant in the custody of the 1-9 department from viewing television for recreational purposes for 1-10 any time during the day that is in excess of the time spent by the 1-11 inmate or defendant that day in viewing television as part of a 1-12 programmatic activity. 1-13 SECTION 2. The Texas Board of Criminal Justice shall adopt 1-14 the rules required by Section 493.015, Government Code, as added by 1-15 this Act, not later than January 1, 1996. 1-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-21 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-22 passage, and it is so enacted.