SRC-ARR S.B. 258 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 258
By: West
Criminal Justice
6/28/1999
Enrolled


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law does not consider prisoners of the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice to be "employees" for purposes of the Texas Hazard
Communication Act, Chapter 502 of the Health and Safety Code. Thus, state
prison inmates are not statutorily required to be informed about and
trained in using hazardous chemicals in their workplace. There are
approximately 55,000 offenders who have direct contact with chemicals
requiring Hazard Communication Act training. This figure represents
offenders assigned to industry, food service, laundry, maintenance,
agriculture, and support service inmate orderly duties. S.B. 258 authorizes
applicability of the Hazard Communication Act to certain inmates of the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 

PURPOSE

As enrolled, S.B. 258 authorizes applicability of the Hazard Communication
Act to certain inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 502, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section
502.020, as follows: 

Sec. 502.020. Provides that a person imprisoned in a facility operated by
or for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) is not an
employee for the purpose of this chapter. Requires the department to
provide a person imprisoned in a facility operated by or for the department
the protections from exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace as
provided for in this chapter. 

SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
                      Effective date: upon passage.