By: Shaheen, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) H.B. No. 460
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
May 4, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
Justice; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the solicitation of pen pals by certain inmates of the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 500, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 500.009 to read as follows:
Sec. 500.009. PEN PAL SOLICITATION PROHIBITED. (a) This
section applies only to an inmate confined in a facility operated by
or under contract with the department who is serving a sentence for
an offense for which registration as a sex offender is required
under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure.
(b) The department shall adopt a policy that prohibits an
inmate described by Subsection (a) from placing an advertisement
soliciting a pen pal on an Internet website operated for that
purpose, regardless of whether another person submits or pays for
the advertisement for the inmate.
SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2021, the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice shall adopt the policy required by
Section 500.009, Government Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
* * * * *