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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the racial and ethnic classification of individuals |
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confined in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 501.001, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 501.001. DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INMATES PROHIBITED; |
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DOCUMENTATION OF RACE OR ETHNICITY. (a) The department |
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[institutional division and the director of the institutional
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division] may not discriminate against an inmate on the basis of the |
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inmate's sex, race, color, creed, or national origin. |
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(b) When it is necessary for the department to document the |
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race or ethnicity of an inmate or state jail defendant, the |
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department shall ensure that: |
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(1) on any preprinted or computerized form, a |
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sufficient number of categories of race and ethnicity exist to |
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adequately reflect the race or ethnicity of the inmate or state jail |
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defendant; and |
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(2) the race or ethnicity of the inmate or state jail |
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defendant is documented as stated by the inmate or state jail |
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defendant. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 61.025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.025. DOCUMENTATION OF RACE OR ETHNICITY. When it is |
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necessary for the commission to document the race or ethnicity of a |
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child, the department shall ensure that: |
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(1) on any preprinted or computerized form, a |
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sufficient number of categories of race and ethnicity exist to |
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adequately reflect the race or ethnicity of the child; and |
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(2) the child's race or ethnicity is documented as |
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stated by the child or the child's parent or legal guardian. |
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SECTION 3. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the |
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Texas Youth Commission shall make any modifications to preprinted |
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or computerized forms necessary to comply with Section |
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501.001(b)(1), Government Code, as added by this Act, or Section |
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61.025(1), Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, as |
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applicable, not later than January 1, 2010. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |