BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2415

By: Leibowitz

Corrections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law authorizes inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to maintain a commissary account used to buy personal items such as toothpaste, deodorant, paper, stamps, snack food, or magazine subscriptions.  These accounts are primarily funded by outside deposits from family members, and inmates can keep a balance in these accounts if they do not spend all the money in the account.  Currently, TDCJ, on notification by a court, withdraws money from an inmate's account to pay any court orders.

H.B. 2415 requires TDCJ on receipt of a valid court order requiring an inmate to pay child support to withdraw the appropriate amount from the inmate's account regardless of whether the court order is provided by the court or another person.

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. 2415 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), on receipt of a valid court order requiring an inmate to pay child support, to withdraw the appropriate amount from the inmate's account maintained by TDCJ, regardless of whether the court order is provided by the court that issued the order or by another person.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.