| 1 | 1 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 43 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to climate control requirements at facilities operated by |
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| 7 | 7 | | the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 501.028 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 501.028. CLIMATE CONTROL REQUIREMENTS AT DEPARTMENT |
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| 12 | 12 | | FACILITIES. (a) In this section, "required temperature-controlled |
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| 13 | 13 | | area" means the following areas of a facility operated by the |
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| 14 | 14 | | department: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) hospitals; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) visiting areas; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (3) housing or dormitory areas; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (4) trustee areas; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (5) areas used for medical treatment or care, |
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| 20 | 20 | | including areas used for dispensing medication to inmates; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (6) kitchens or dining areas; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (7) food preparation areas; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (8) community areas, including dayrooms; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (9) laundry areas; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (10) areas used for work stations; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (11) indoor recreational areas, including gymnasiums; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (12) restroom and shower areas and other areas related |
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| 28 | 28 | | to inmate hygiene; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (13) administrative areas; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (14) correctional officer stations, including guard |
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| 31 | 31 | | post areas; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (15) commissary areas; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (16) areas used for programmatic, educational, or |
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| 34 | 34 | | vocational purposes; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (17) chapels or churches; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (18) libraries; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (19) maintenance areas. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) The department shall ensure that: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) the temperature in each required |
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| 40 | 40 | | temperature-controlled area is maintained at not less than 65 |
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| 41 | 41 | | degrees Fahrenheit or more than 85 degrees Fahrenheit; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) each climate control system in use at a facility |
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| 43 | 43 | | operated by the department includes virus-mitigation technology, |
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| 44 | 44 | | such as air purifiers, for the purpose of reducing the spread of |
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| 45 | 45 | | airborne viruses. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is not |
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| 47 | 47 | | required to comply with the requirements of Section 501.028, |
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| 48 | 48 | | Government Code, as added by this Act, until September 1, 2022. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 50 | 50 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 51 | 51 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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| 54 | 54 | | legislative session. |
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