81R5092 PEP-D
By: Madden H.B. No. 1870
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the manner in which inmates may receive certain cash
payments on discharge or release from the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 501.015, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g) to read as
follows:
(a) When an inmate is discharged or is released on parole,
mandatory supervision, or conditional pardon, the department
[institutional division] shall provide the inmate with:
(1) suitable civilian clothing;
(2) money held in the inmate's trust account by the
director; and
(3) cash, in an amount and in the manner described by
Subsection (b) and, if applicable, Subsection (g).
(g) The department may contract with an appropriate
financial institution in this state, without cost to the state, to
make the payments to inmates required by Subsection (b) in the form
of a prepaid debit card that:
(1) authorizes the inmate in whose name the card is
issued to communicate a request to an unmanned teller machine or a
customer convenience terminal, without charge for the initial
transaction, or to obtain property or services by debit to an
account at a financial institution, without charge for any
point-of-sale transaction;
(2) is offered by a financial institution the deposits
of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
and that complies with any applicable requirements of federal law;
and
(3) maintains a clear audit trail to simplify the
auditing process for purposes of reports to the comptroller.
SECTION 2. Section 499.155(c), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) If an inmate is discharged or released on parole or
mandatory supervision from a transfer facility, the inmate is
entitled to receive release or discharge money from the department
[institutional division] in the same amount and manner as an inmate
is entitled to receive on release or discharge from any other
facility of the department [institutional division] under Section
501.015.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.