BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2467

By: Zedler

County Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of training required of jailers in private correctional facilities, which could place both inmates and other jailers at risk. C.S.H.B. 2467 seeks to address this issue by providing training requirements applicable to a jailer at a private correctional facility.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commissioner on Law Enforcement in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2467 amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) by rule to require a jailer in a private correctional facility to complete the preparatory training program for a county jailer not later than the 180th day after the date the jailer is hired. The bill requires such a jailer who does not complete the program to be removed from the position and prohibits the jailer from serving in any facility until completing the program. The bill prohibits a jailer from serving in a supervisory position unless the person has satisfactorily completed the program. The bill requires a jailer who has not satisfactorily completed the program to be under the direct supervision of a jailer who has satisfactorily completed the program. The bill prohibits the number of jailers employed at a private correctional facility who have not satisfactorily completed the program from exceeding 10 percent of the total number of jailers employed at that facility at any time.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2467 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute does not include provisions changing the date by which the failure of a temporarily appointed county jailer to satisfactorily complete the requisite preparatory training program triggers the required removal from that position.

The substitute includes provisions relating to certain TCOLE training requirements applicable to a jailer at a private correctional facility.