| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to access to telephone services for persons confined in |
|
|
county jails. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 351, Local Government |
|
|
Code, is amended by adding Section 351.0135 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 351.0135. ACCESS TO TELEPHONE SERVICES FOR PERSONS |
|
|
CONFINED IN COUNTY JAIL. The sheriff of each county shall adopt a |
|
|
policy governing the use of telephone services by persons confined |
|
|
in the county jail. The policy: |
|
|
(1) must allow each person confined in the county jail |
|
|
pending trial to: |
|
|
(A) make domestic telephone calls to the person's |
|
|
attorney for a total duration of 20 minutes per month at no cost to |
|
|
the person or the person's attorney; and |
|
|
(B) make one 10-minute domestic telephone call |
|
|
per week to a person other than the person's attorney at no cost to |
|
|
the person or the person receiving the call; and |
|
|
(2) must allow each person confined in the county jail |
|
|
other than a person described by Subdivision (1) to make one |
|
|
10-minute domestic telephone call per month at no cost to the person |
|
|
or the person receiving the call. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2019, the sheriff of |
|
|
each county shall adopt the policy required by Section 351.0135, |
|
|
Local Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |