83R5054 MEW-F
By: Turner of Harris H.B. No. 968
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmate
grievance system.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 501.008, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows:
(b-1) The department shall implement and enforce a
zero-tolerance policy for failure to protect inmates from
retaliation for filing a grievance.
(b-2) The department shall annually submit to the governor,
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and
appropriate standing committees of the legislature a comprehensive
report containing:
(1) the number and nature of grievances filed on each
unit;
(2) the number and nature of grievances appealed to
the highest authority provided for in the grievance system from
each unit;
(3) if the highest authority provided for in the
grievance system overturns a unit grievance:
(A) a detailed explanation describing the
reasons for the denial of the original grievance;
(B) the response given to the inmate on the
original grievance; and
(C) the reason that the unit grievance was
overturned;
(4) an overview of what each unit would need to resolve
future grievances, based on the number and nature of grievances
filed at the unit level and appealed to the highest authority
provided for in the grievance system; and
(5) an overview, across units, of major causes for
grievances, identifying patterns of commonly recurring problems
and making recommendations in regard to addressing those recurring
problems.
SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall
submit the first report required by Section 501.008(b-2),
Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1,
2014.
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, 2013.