79R3334 MFC-D

By:  Haggerty                                                     H.B. No. 574



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the provision of pay telephone service to inmates 
confined in facilities operated by the Texas Department of Criminal 
Justice.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 495, Government Code, is 
amended by adding Section 495.025 to read as follows:
	Sec. 495.025.  INMATE PAY TELEPHONE SERVICE.  (a)  The board 
shall request proposals from private vendors for contracts to 
provide pay telephone service to inmates.  The board may not 
consider a proposal or award a contract to provide the service 
unless under the contract the vendor:
		(1)  provides for installation, operation, and 
maintenance of the service without any cost to the state; and
		(2)  pays the department a commission of 40 percent of 
the gross revenue received from inmate telephone use.
	(b)  The board may award one contract or a series of regional 
contracts to one or more private vendors to install, operate, and 
maintain the telephone service.  The term of the contract may not be 
less than three years.
	(c)  The money received under this section may be 
appropriated only to the department for use by the department in 
accomplishing department purposes.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.