87R4730 BDP-D
By: White H.B. No. 1148
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to prohibiting the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
from charging an inmate a fee for health care.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 501.063, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 501.063. INMATE FEE FOR HEALTH CARE PROHIBITED. The
department may not charge an [(a)(1) An] inmate confined in a
facility operated by or under contract with the department a fee for
health care provided to the inmate[, other than a halfway house, who
initiates a visit to a health care provider shall pay a health care
services fee to the department in the amount of $13.55 per visit,
except that an inmate may not be required to pay more than $100
during a state fiscal year].
[(3) The inmate shall pay the fee out of the inmate's
trust fund. If the balance in the fund is insufficient to cover the
fee, 50 percent of each deposit to the fund shall be applied toward
the balance owed until the total amount owed is paid.
[(b) The department shall adopt policies to ensure that
before any deductions are made from an inmate's trust fund under
this section, the inmate is informed that the health care services
fee will be deducted from the inmate's trust fund as required by
Subsection (a).
[(c) The department may not deny an inmate access to health
care as a result of the inmate's failure or inability to pay a fee
under this section.
[(d) The department shall deposit money received under this
section in an account in the general revenue fund that may be used
only to pay the cost of correctional health care. At the beginning
of each fiscal year, the comptroller shall transfer any surplus
from the preceding fiscal year to the state treasury to the credit
of the general revenue fund.]
SECTION 2. Section 501.014(g), Government Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.