BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                               H.B. 44

                                                                                                                                          By: Hodge

                                                                                                                                          Corrections

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Under current law, once good conduct time has been revoked for a disciplinary offense, an inmate cannot gain the time back through cooperation or good behavior.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. 44 authorizes the restoration of good conduct time at the discretion of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

 

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

 

H.B. 44 reenacts Section 498.004(a), Government Code, as amended by Chapters 249 and 321, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, and amends it to authorize the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) to restore good conduct time forfeited under this subsection, rather than prohibiting the department from doing so.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.