By: Dutton (Senate Sponsor - Whitmire) H.B. No. 954
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 2021;
  May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
  Justice; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to certain contract and notice requirements applicable to
  certain facilities used to house inmates or releasees from the
  Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 493.010, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 493.010.  CONTRACTS FOR MISCELLANEOUS HOUSING. (a) The
  board, for the temporary or permanent housing of inmates, may enter
  into leases or contract with:
               (1)  public or private jails; or
               (2)  operators of alternative housing facilities.
         (b)  The board may not enter into a lease or contract with an
  operator of an alternative housing facility that is located in a
  county with a population of 3.3 million or more unless the operator
  submits to the board a permit or other documentation showing that
  the facility is in compliance with all applicable municipal and
  county regulations.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 508, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter E-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER E-1. ALTERNATIVE HOUSING IN CERTAIN COUNTIES
         Sec. 508.171.  APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies only
  with respect to alternative housing that is located in a county with
  a population of 3.3 million or more.
         Sec. 508.172.  ALTERNATIVE HOUSING PROGRAM. The department
  shall require that an applicant to participate as a provider in a
  program designed to provide alternative housing for two or more
  unrelated releasees submit with the application, in the manner
  specified by the department, a permit or other documentation
  showing that the proposed alternative housing facility is in
  compliance with all applicable municipal and county regulations.
         Sec. 508.173.  INFORMATION REGARDING ALTERNATIVE HOUSING;
  NOTICE TO POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. (a) The department shall
  maintain the following information regarding releasees:
               (1)  a list of facilities providing alternative housing
  to two or more unrelated releasees, including:
                     (A)  the name, address, and telephone number of
  the facility;
                     (B)  the county in which the facility is located;
                     (C)  information regarding whether the facility
  is in compliance with all applicable municipal and county
  regulations;
                     (D)  the number of releasees residing at the
  facility; and
                     (E)  the maximum capacity of the facility; and
               (2)  a list of releasees being housed at a facility
  described by Subdivision (1), including:
                     (A)  the releasee's name;
                     (B)  the county in which the releasee is required
  to reside under Section 508.181;
                     (C)  the county in which the releasee committed
  the offense for which the releasee is on parole or mandatory
  supervision;
                     (D)  the alternative housing facility in which the
  releasee resides; and
                     (E)  the date on which the releasee began residing
  at the facility.
         (b)  On request of a county or municipality, the department
  shall provide monthly the information maintained by the department
  under Subsection (a). A county or municipality shall notify the
  department if the county or municipality does not want to continue
  to receive the information.
         (c)  The department shall provide the information to a county
  or municipality under Subsection (b) by secured electronic mail and
  in a machine-readable format.
         (d)  On request by a member of the legislature, the
  department shall provide the information maintained by the
  department under Subsection (a) to the member.
         SECTION 3.  (a) Section 493.010, Government Code, as
  amended by this Act, applies only to a lease or contract entered
  into on or after the effective date of this Act.
         (b)  Section 508.172, Government Code, as added by this Act,
  applies only to an application to participate in a program
  described by that section that is submitted on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
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