1-1 By: West (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister) H.B. No. 123 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001; 1-3 May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal 1-4 Justice; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to a requirement that inmates of the Texas Department of 1-9 Criminal Justice participate in educational programs. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Section 501.0051 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 501.0051. EDUCATION REQUIRED. (a) The department shall 1-14 require an inmate who does not hold a high school diploma or 1-15 general equivalency certificate to participate in available 1-16 educational programming designed to help the inmate to earn a 1-17 general equivalency certificate. 1-18 (b) This section does not apply to an inmate confined on 1-19 death row or confined in administrative segregation or close 1-20 custody. The department may waive the educational requirement 1-21 imposed by this section on an inmate if the department determines 1-22 that the inmate lacks the learning ability to earn a certificate. 1-23 (c) The department may limit participation in an educational 1-24 program based on the capacity of the program and may assign inmates 1-25 to participate on the basis of the inmates' release dates, using 1-26 the department's individualized treatment plans. 1-27 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-28 * * * * *