By Jones of Dallas                               H.B. No. 917

      75R765 GWK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the ability of  the Texas Department of Criminal

 1-3     Justice to enter into contracts for inmate labor that provide

 1-4     inmates with access to personal information about persons who are

 1-5     not confined.

 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-7           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 497, Government Code, is

 1-8     amended by adding Section 497.011 to read as follows:

 1-9           Sec. 497.011.  CERTAIN CONTRACTS PROHIBITED.  The department

1-10     may not enter into a contract with a private business or public

1-11     entity that requires or permits an inmate confined in a

1-12     correctional facility operated by  or for the department to have

1-13     access to personal information about persons who are not confined

1-14     in facilities operated by or for the department.

1-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect on September 1, 1997, and

1-16     applies only to a contract entered into  by the Texas Department of

1-17     Criminal Justice on or after that date.  A contract entered into by

1-18     the department before the effective date of this Act is covered by

1-19     the law in effect when the contract was entered into, and the

1-20     former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

1-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.