By Sims S.B. No. 949 74R7364 GWK-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to authorizing county commissioners to ban the 1-3 introduction of contraband into county jails. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 351, Local Government Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 351.045 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 351.045. CONTRABAND. (a) The commissioners court of a 1-8 county by order may prohibit the introduction of contraband into 1-9 the county jail or a county correctional facility. 1-10 (b) The commissioners court may designate an item as 1-11 contraband only if the sheriff agrees in writing to the designation 1-12 and if the item is: 1-13 (1) a tobacco product such as a cigar, cigarette, 1-14 snuff, or a similar product prepared for smoking, chewing, or 1-15 dipping or is an accessory to a tobacco product such as matches; or 1-16 (2) by its nature a threat to the health or safety of 1-17 an inmate or an employee of the jail or correctional facility and 1-18 is not an item listed in Section 38.09 or 38.11, Penal Code. 1-19 (c) The sheriff shall post at each entrance to the county 1-20 jail or county correctional facility a copy of the order listing 1-21 the items that are contraband and a statement that a person 1-22 introducing or attempting to introduce a listed item into the jail 1-23 or facility commits an offense. 1-24 (d) A person who introduces or attempts to introduce 2-1 contraband into a county jail or county correctional facility 2-2 commits an offense. An offense under this subsection is a Class C 2-3 misdemeanor. 2-4 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-9 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-10 passage, and it is so enacted.