HBA-JRA H.B. 133 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 133
By: McClendon
Corrections
2/3/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) is
authorized to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide inmate
labor.  H.B. 133 requires the department to make reasonable efforts to do
so and encourages the development of inmates' vocational skills. 

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 497.091(d), Government Code, to require the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) to make reasonable
efforts, rather than to authorize the department, to contract with
nonprofit organizations to provide inmate labor.  Requires the department
to give preference to nonprofit organizations that will use the inmate
labor in a manner that increases the inmates' vocational skills. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.