88R22277 MCF-D
By: Meza, Moody, Reynolds, Cain, et al. H.B. No. 484
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to suicide prevention in municipal jails.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 361, Local Government
Code, is amended by adding Section 361.902 to read as follows:
Sec. 361.902. SUICIDE PREVENTION IN MUNICIPAL JAIL. (a) A
municipal jail shall:
(1) provide two hours of training to each jailer or
person responsible for the supervision of a person confined in the
jail on the procedures for identifying, documenting, and handling a
person who is potentially suicidal or has a mental health
condition;
(2) conduct and document mental health screenings
during the intake process in accordance with the procedures adopted
by the Commission on Jail Standards for county jails;
(3) install cameras in the hall directly outside the
cell of any person who is identified as potentially suicidal;
(4) regularly check on each person confined in the
jail who is identified as potentially suicidal; and
(5) report to the attorney general, in the manner
prescribed by the attorney general, any incident involving the
suicide or attempted suicide of a person confined in the jail not
later than 48 hours after the incident.
(b) Subsection (a)(1) does not apply to a municipal jail
that requires individuals described by that subdivision to complete
a municipal jailer training or certification course as a condition
of employment.
(c) The attorney general may use the information reported
under Subsection (a)(5) only for purposes of data collection and
analysis.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.