| 1 | 1 | | 88R10340 MCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Romero, Jr. H.B. No. 2748 |
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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 certain procedures concerning the welfare of prisoners |
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| 8 | 8 | | confined in county jails. |
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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. Chapter 511, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Sections 511.024, 511.025, and 511.026 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 511.024. FAMILY LIAISON OFFICER. (a) The commission |
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| 13 | 13 | | shall require the sheriff of a county to designate one employee at |
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| 14 | 14 | | the county jail to serve as the family liaison officer for the jail |
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| 15 | 15 | | to facilitate the maintenance of ties between prisoners and their |
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| 16 | 16 | | families for the purpose of reducing recidivism. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The family liaison officer shall: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) provide prisoners' families with information about |
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| 19 | 19 | | the classification status, location, and health of prisoners at the |
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| 20 | 20 | | county jail; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) notify prisoners about emergencies involving |
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| 22 | 22 | | their families and provide prisoners with other necessary |
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| 23 | 23 | | information relating to their families; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) assist prisoners' families and other persons |
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| 25 | 25 | | during visits with prisoners and aid those persons in resolving |
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| 26 | 26 | | problems that may affect permitted contact with prisoners; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (4) inform individuals who possess a reference number |
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| 28 | 28 | | described by Section 511.025 when the applicable prisoner requires |
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| 29 | 29 | | any medical attention outside of routine medical checks. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Sec. 511.025. MEDICAL AUTHORIZATION FORM. (a) The |
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| 31 | 31 | | commission shall adopt a medical authorization form for a prisoner |
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| 32 | 32 | | to authorize the release of the prisoner's medical information by |
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| 33 | 33 | | the county jail to an individual named in the form. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (b) On request of a prisoner, a county jail shall submit to |
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| 35 | 35 | | the commission a medical authorization form signed by the prisoner. |
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| 36 | 36 | | As soon as practicable after receiving the form, the commission |
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| 37 | 37 | | shall provide a reference number by mail or facsimile to: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) the individual named by the prisoner in the form; |
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| 39 | 39 | | and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) the county jail that submitted the form. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) An individual named in a medical authorization form may |
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| 42 | 42 | | obtain medical information concerning the prisoner from the |
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| 43 | 43 | | applicable county jail, including the family liaison officer for |
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| 44 | 44 | | the county jail, by providing the reference number described by |
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| 45 | 45 | | Subsection (b) to the county jail. |
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| 46 | 46 | | Sec. 511.026. COMPLAINT INSPECTIONS AND REPORT. (a) On |
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| 47 | 47 | | receipt by the commission of a complaint alleging abuse or neglect |
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| 48 | 48 | | of a prisoner, including medical neglect, or unsafe conditions at a |
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| 49 | 49 | | county jail, the commission shall check on the health and |
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| 50 | 50 | | well-being of prisoners at the jail. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (b) Not later than February 1 of each year, the commission |
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| 52 | 52 | | shall submit to the governor and the presiding officer of each house |
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| 53 | 53 | | of the legislature a report on the complaints described by |
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| 54 | 54 | | Subsection (a) that the commission received during the preceding |
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| 55 | 55 | | year. The report must include, for each county jail, the total |
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| 56 | 56 | | number of: |
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| 57 | 57 | | (1) complaints submitted; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) complaints submitted for each category of |
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| 59 | 59 | | allegation, including complaints alleging medical neglect and |
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| 60 | 60 | | complaints alleging that the family liaison officer for the jail |
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| 61 | 61 | | failed to disclose medical information to an individual who |
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| 62 | 62 | | possesses a reference number described by Section 511.025; and |
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| 63 | 63 | | (3) complaints that were resolved by the commission. |
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| 64 | 64 | | (c) The commission may submit the report required under |
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| 65 | 65 | | Subsection (b) with the report required under Section 511.015. |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 67 | 67 | | of this Act, the Commission on Jail Standards shall adopt the form |
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| 68 | 68 | | required by Section 511.025, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 69 | 69 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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