| 1 | 1 | | 85R12113 JRR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Reynolds H.B. No. 2451 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a proxy for a member of the legislature visiting a |
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| 8 | 8 | | facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 501.010, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (a-1) and adding Subsection (a-2) to read as |
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| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a-1) The institutional division shall allow the governor, |
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| 14 | 14 | | members of the legislature, persons designated under Subsection |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a-2), and members of the executive and judicial branches to enter |
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| 16 | 16 | | at proper hours any part of a facility operated by the division |
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| 17 | 17 | | where inmates are housed or worked[,] for the purpose of observing |
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| 18 | 18 | | the operations of the division. A visitor described by this |
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| 19 | 19 | | subsection may talk with inmates away from institutional division |
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| 20 | 20 | | employees. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a-2) A member of the legislature may designate a person to |
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| 22 | 22 | | serve as the member's proxy for the purpose of observing the |
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| 23 | 23 | | operations of the institutional division as authorized by |
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| 24 | 24 | | Subsection (a-1). A designation made under this subsection is |
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| 25 | 25 | | valid until the earlier of: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) the second anniversary of the date that the person |
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| 27 | 27 | | is designated under this subsection; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) the date the member ceases to be a member of the |
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| 29 | 29 | | legislature. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. Section 507.030, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 31 | 31 | | amending Subsection (a-1) and adding Subsection (a-2) to read as |
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| 32 | 32 | | follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (a-1) The state jail division shall allow the governor, |
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| 34 | 34 | | members of the legislature, persons designated under Subsection |
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| 35 | 35 | | (a-2), and officials of the executive and judicial branches to |
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| 36 | 36 | | enter during business hours any part of a facility operated by the |
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| 37 | 37 | | division[,] for the purpose of observing the operations of the |
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| 38 | 38 | | division. A visitor described by this subsection may talk with |
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| 39 | 39 | | defendants away from division employees. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (a-2) A member of the legislature may designate a person to |
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| 41 | 41 | | serve as the member's proxy for the purpose of observing the |
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| 42 | 42 | | operations of the state jail division as authorized by Subsection |
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| 43 | 43 | | (a-1). A designation made under this subsection is valid until the |
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| 44 | 44 | | earlier of: |
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| 45 | 45 | | (1) the second anniversary of the date that the person |
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| 46 | 46 | | is designated under this subsection; or |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) the date the member ceases to be a member of the |
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| 48 | 48 | | legislature. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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