BILL ANALYSIS
By: Madden
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current law does not give the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) the authority to institute a program to house inmate mothers with their infants. Once the babies are born, they are taken from their mother and not reunited until the mother is released from custody. As a result, the baby and the mother cannot bond. The mother is returned to her unit without a program to develop the hands-on parenting skills and bonding needed to give the inmate mother and infant the best chance at a productive life.
HB 199 requires the department to implement a residential infant care and parenting program for mothers who are confined by the department.
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
HB 199 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) to implement a residential infant care and parenting program for mothers who are confined by the department. To the extent practicable, the department shall model the program after the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Mothers and Infants Together program operated under contract in Fort Worth.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.