BILL ANALYSIS
By: Jones, Jesse
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Persons currently under sentence in prison do not receive Medicare or Medicaid. Health care for prisoners is an expense that the State must bear. In order to determine the potential savings to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's (TDCJ) budget, a study may be appropriate. House Bill 1383 would instruct TDCJ and The Correctional Managed Healthcare Committee to conduct a study on the potential savings to the state in health care services costs if TDCJ were to release eligible inmates into the community on parole.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1: Requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee to conduct a study to determine the number of inmates 55 years of age or older who receive health care services from the department. The study would determine: (1) the number of inmates confined by TDCJ who are 55 years or older and who have serious medical conditions, and (2) the amount of savings that would result to the state in health care services costs if the department were to release the inmates into the community on parole. The department is required to submit a report regarding the result of findings to the legislature no later than December 1, 2006.
SECTION 2: Expiration of this Act.
SECTION 3: Effective Date.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 1383 lowers the age reference in the bill from 60 to 55 years of age. C.S.H.B. 1383 also requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee to conduct a study. The original bill only instructed TDCJ to conduct the study. C.S.H.B 1383 deletes the language contained in the original bill requiring TDCJ to identify potential inmates, 60 years or older and receiving health care services, who could be released into the community on parole with the reasonable belief that the inmate will not engage in any criminal conduct after release.