87R4730 BDP-D

By: White H.B. No. 1148

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting the Texas Department of Criminal Justice from charging an inmate a fee for health care.

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

SECTION 1. Section 501.063, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 501.063. INMATE FEE FOR HEALTH CARE PROHIBITED. The department may not charge an [(a)(1) An] inmate confined in a facility operated by or under contract with the department a fee for health care provided to the inmate[, other than a halfway house, who initiates a visit to a health care provider shall pay a health care services fee to the department in the amount of $13.55 per visit, except that an inmate may not be required to pay more than $100 during a state fiscal year].

[(3) The inmate shall pay the fee out of the inmate's trust fund. If the balance in the fund is insufficient to cover the fee, 50 percent of each deposit to the fund shall be applied toward the balance owed until the total amount owed is paid.

[(b) The department shall adopt policies to ensure that before any deductions are made from an inmate's trust fund under this section, the inmate is informed that the health care services fee will be deducted from the inmate's trust fund as required by Subsection (a).

[(c) The department may not deny an inmate access to health care as a result of the inmate's failure or inability to pay a fee under this section.

[(d) The department shall deposit money received under this section in an account in the general revenue fund that may be used only to pay the cost of correctional health care. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the comptroller shall transfer any surplus from the preceding fiscal year to the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund.]

SECTION 2. Section 501.014(g), Government Code, is repealed.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.