81R3029 PEP-D
By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 425
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to
develop and use an operations manual for maintaining certain
environmental conditions inside certain confinement facilities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 501.020 to read as follows:
Sec. 501.020. OPERATIONS MANUAL; TEMPERATURE LOG. (a) The
department shall develop and use an operations manual that
describes the standards and procedures to be followed for
maintaining satisfactory environmental conditions inside each
facility operated by or under contract with the department for the
confinement of inmates.
(b) The operations manual must include heat management
protocols and must require that a daily temperature log indicating
the temperature recorded at various times of the day be kept at each
of the facilities described by Subsection (a).
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall
develop and use an operations manual that meets the requirements of
this section with respect to each state jail felony facility
operated by or under contract with the department.
SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall
develop and begin using the operations manual required under
Section 501.020, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later
than January 1, 2010.
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.