HBA-DMD H.B. 129 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 129
By: McClendon
Corrections
3/1/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, an inmate earns good conduct time according to the
inmate's classification or for participating in a work, agricultural,
educational, or a vocational program.  H.B. 129 attempts to reduce the
prison population by authorizing an inmate to accrue good conduct time in
an amount to be determined by the Department of Criminal Justice
(department), not to exceed 15 days for each 30 days served, for
voluntarily submitting to drug testing on a schedule determined by the
department.  The bill prohibits the department from awarding good conduct
time to an inmate who is ineligible for release to mandatory supervision
under Section 508.149 (Inmates Ineligible for Mandatory Supervision). 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 498.003, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(g), as follows: 

(g) Authorizes an inmate to accrue good conduct time, in an amount
determined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) not to
exceed 15 days for each 30 days served, for submitting to voluntary drug
testing.  Provides that the department determines the schedule.  Prohibits
the department from awarding good conduct time to an inmate ineligible for
release to mandatory supervision under Section 508.149 (Inmates Ineligible
for Mandatory Supervision). 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.