By West H.B. No. 279 75R2477 GWK-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a requirement that physically and mentally able inmates 1-3 of the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal 1-4 Justice participate in work and educational programs. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 497, Government Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 497.099 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 497.099. PARTICIPATION IN WORK PROGRAM REQUIRED. (a) 1-9 The director shall require each inmate in the institutional 1-10 division who is physically and mentally capable to participate at 1-11 least 60 hours a week in an agricultural, vocational, industrial, 1-12 or other work program. 1-13 (b) The director shall require each inmate in the 1-14 institutional division who does not have a high school diploma or 1-15 general equivalency diploma, other than an inmate determined by the 1-16 director to lack the learning ability to obtain such a diploma, to 1-17 participate at least 10 hours a week in an educational program 1-18 designed to help the inmate achieve a diploma. 1-19 (c) The board shall adopt rules to implement this section. 1-20 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-2 passage, and it is so enacted.