| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to program accessibility for female inmates of the Texas |
|
|
Department of Criminal Justice. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 501.026, Government Code, as added by |
|
|
Chapter 1163 (H.B. 3227), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular |
|
|
Session, 2019, is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 501.026. ACCESS TO PROGRAMS BY FEMALE INMATES. (a) |
|
|
The department shall develop and implement policies that increase |
|
|
and promote a female inmate's access to programs, including |
|
|
parenting classes and educational, vocational, substance use |
|
|
treatment, rehabilitation, life skills training, and prerelease |
|
|
programs, offered to inmates in the custody of the department, |
|
|
including programs offered to defendants confined in state jail |
|
|
felony facilities [including educational, vocational, substance |
|
|
use treatment, rehabilitation, life skills training, and |
|
|
prerelease programs]. The department may not reduce or limit a male |
|
|
inmate's access to a program to meet the requirements of this |
|
|
section. |
|
|
(b) The department shall develop and implement policies |
|
|
that: |
|
|
(1) require each facility to make the programs |
|
|
described by Subsection (a) available and accessible to a female |
|
|
inmate not later than the 45th day after the date the inmate arrives |
|
|
at the facility; and |
|
|
(2) ensure female inmates have access to the same |
|
|
program opportunities, including master's level education courses, |
|
|
that are available to male inmates. |
|
|
(c) Not later than December 31 of each year, the department |
|
|
shall: |
|
|
(1) prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant |
|
|
governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, each |
|
|
standing committee of the legislature having primary jurisdiction |
|
|
over the department, and the reentry task force described by |
|
|
Section 501.098 a written report that includes: |
|
|
(A) a description of any department policies that |
|
|
were created, modified, or eliminated during the preceding year to |
|
|
meet the requirements of this section; and |
|
|
(B) a list of programs available to female |
|
|
inmates in the custody of the department during the preceding year; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) publish the report on the department's Internet |
|
|
website. |
|
|
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
|
|
of this Act, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall develop |
|
|
and implement the policies necessary to implement the changes in |
|
|
law made by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |