By: Coleman H.B. No. 3401

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of the Commission on Jail Standards and addressing mental health issues in jail.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 511.009, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The commission shall:

(1) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum standards for the construction, equipment, maintenance, and operation of county jails;

(2) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum standards for the custody, care, and treatment of prisoners;

(3) adopt reasonable rules establishing minimum standards for the number of jail supervisory personnel and for programs and services to meet the needs of prisoners;

(4) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum requirements for programs of rehabilitation, education, and recreation in county jails;

(5) revise, amend, or change rules and procedures if necessary;

(6) provide to local government officials consultation on and technical assistance for county jails;

(7) review and comment on plans for the construction and major modification or renovation of county jails;

(8) require that the sheriff and commissioners of each county submit to the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission, an annual report on the conditions in each county jail within their jurisdiction, including all information necessary to determine compliance with state law, commission orders, and the rules adopted under this chapter;

(9) review the reports submitted under Subdivision (8) and require commission employees to inspect county jails regularly to ensure compliance with state law, commission orders, and rules and procedures adopted under this chapter;

(10) adopt a classification system to assist sheriffs and judges in determining which defendants are low-risk and consequently suitable participants in a county jail work release program under Article 42.034, Code of Criminal Procedure;

(11) adopt rules relating to requirements for segregation of classes of inmates and to capacities for county jails;

(12) require that the chief jailer of each municipal lockup submit to the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission, an annual report of persons under 17 years of age securely detained in the lockup, including all information necessary to determine compliance with state law concerning secure confinement of children in municipal lockups;

(13) at least annually determine whether each county jail is in compliance with the rules and procedures adopted under this chapter;

(14) require that the sheriff and commissioners court of each county submit to the commission, on a form prescribed by the commission, an annual report of persons under 17 years of age securely detained in the county jail, including all information necessary to determine compliance with state law concerning secure confinement of children in county jails;

(15) schedule announced and unannounced inspections of jails under the commission's jurisdiction using the risk assessment plan established under Section 511.0085 to guide the inspections process;

(16) adopt a policy for gathering and distributing to jails under the commission's jurisdiction information regarding:

(A) common issues concerning jail administration;

(B) examples of successful strategies for maintaining compliance with state law and the rules, standards, and procedures of the commission; and

(C) solutions to operational challenges for jails;

(17) report to the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments on a jail's compliance with Article 16.22, Code of Criminal Procedure;

(18) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum requirements for jails to:

(A) determine if a prisoner is pregnant; and

(B) ensure that the jail's health services plan addresses medical and mental health care, including nutritional requirements, and any special housing or work assignment needs for persons who are confined in the jail and are known or determined to be pregnant; and

(19) provide guidelines to sheriffs regarding contracts between a sheriff and another entity for the provision of food services to or the operation of a commissary in a jail under the commission's jurisdiction, including specific provisions regarding conflicts of interest and avoiding the appearance of impropriety.

(b) A commission rule or procedure is not unreasonable because compliance with the rule or procedure requires major modification or renovation of an existing jail or construction of a new jail.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law [At any time and on the application of the county commissioners court or sheriff], the commission may not grant a variance of a requirement of state law [reasonable variances, including variances that are to last for the life of a facility, clearly justified by the facts,] for the operation of a facility [not in strict compliance with state law. A variance may not permit unhealthy, unsanitary, or unsafe conditions].

(d) In addition to the rules and procedures required under Subsection (a), the commission shall adopt reasonable rules and standards to ensure that jails under the commission's jurisdiction adequately screen inmates for mental illness and refer inmates with mental illness to appropriate diversion programs designed to treat the mental illness.

SECTION 2. On the effective date of this Act, a variance granted by the Commission on Jail Standards before the effective date of this Act is no longer in effect.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.