SGN C.S.H.B. 1693 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS CORRECTIONS C.S.H.B. 1693 By: Hinojosa 4-16-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND In some Texas counties there is a still a problem of county jail overcrowding. Due to lack of space, some counties must shuttle inmates hundreds of miles away to the nearest county jail facility that will accept extra prisoners. The county jail inmates are housed in these neighboring facilities pending court hearings and final resolution of their cases. Currently, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has state jail facilities which are either not open or underutilized. The State Jail Division has beds available, but few state jail felons to fill these units. The unused beds could be better utilized by housing county jail inmates for overcrowded counties. PURPOSE As proposed, C.S.H.B. 1693 allows TDCJ to contract with counties to house county jail inmates in state jail facilities. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1: Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 507, Government Code by adding Section 507.007 as follows: Sec. 507.007. USE OF FACILITY FOR COUNTY JAIL INMATES. (a) Allows the state jail division, with the approval of the board, to designate one or more state jail felony facilities, or a portion of one or more state jail felony facilities, to house county jail inmates. Provides that the state jail division may contract with the commissioner's court of a county to house inmates, but only if the designation does not deny placement in a state jail felony facility to defendants required to serve terms of confinement in a facility following conviction of state jail felonies; the county jail inmates, to the extent practicable, will be segregated from other facility inmates; and the facility will house county jail inmates who do not have a history of violent or assaultive behavior in county jail. (b) Provides that a county that contracts to house inmates in a state jail facility may not contract to house inmates from another county or state in the county jail. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The committee substitute adds language providing that a portion of a state jail felony facility may also be designated as available to house county jail inmates. The substitute also provides that the facility will house county jail inmates who do not have a history of violent or assaultive behavior in county jail.