SRC-MWN H.B. 2800 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 2800 By: Hodge (Barrientos) Criminal Justice 5/10/2001 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Under current law, once good conduct time has been revoked for a disciplinary offense, an inmate can not gain the time back through cooperation or good behavior. In an effort to offer wardens a tool to better ensure inmate cooperation and compliance, H.B. 2800 authorizes the restoration of good conduct time at the discretion of the Department of Criminal Justice. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Reenacts Section 498.004, Government Code, as amended by Chapters 249 and 321, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, and amends it, as follows: Sec. 498.004. FORFEITURE AND RESTORATION OF GOOD CONDUCT TIME. Authorizes the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) to restore good conduct time forfeited under this subsection, rather than prohibiting it from doing so. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 2. Provides that it is the intent of the legislature that the department is required to establish a procedure to restore previously forfeited good conduct time as permitted by Section 498.004, Government Code, as amended by this Act, in each circumstance in which the conduct of an inmate warrants the restoration of the previously forfeited good conduct time. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2001.