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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a quality assurance audit of the provision of health |
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care to inmates by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 501.1472 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 501.1472. QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDIT. (a) The |
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department shall provide for a quality assurance audit of the |
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correctional health care system to be performed by an independent |
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third-party auditor not less than once every five years. The audit |
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must: |
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(1) assess the department's: |
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(A) delivery of medical, behavioral, and mental |
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health care services; and |
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(B) compliance with state and federal law |
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applicable to the provision of health care to inmates; |
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(2) evaluate: |
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(A) the performance of any vendors used to |
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provide a service described by Subdivision (1)(A); and |
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(B) the extent to which the department's |
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provision of health care to inmates conforms to industry best |
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practices and national correctional health care standards; and |
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(3) provide specific recommendations for the |
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department to address any identified deficiencies. |
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(b) The department shall post the report of an audit under |
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Subsection (a) in a conspicuous location on the department's |
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publicly accessible Internet website. |
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(c) The board shall hold a public meeting to consider the |
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report and may request that the auditor present the results of the |
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audit to the board at the meeting. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall |
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provide for the first audit required by Section 501.1472, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act, to be completed not later |
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than December 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |