| 1 | 1 | | 88R2393 BDP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shaheen H.B. No. 607 |
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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 the solicitation of pen pals by certain inmates of the |
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| 8 | 8 | | Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
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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 500, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Section 500.009 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 500.009. PEN PAL SOLICITATION PROHIBITED. (a) This |
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| 13 | 13 | | section applies only to an inmate confined in a facility operated by |
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| 14 | 14 | | or under contract with the department who is serving a sentence for |
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| 15 | 15 | | an offense for which registration as a sex offender is required |
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| 16 | 16 | | under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The department shall adopt a policy that prohibits an |
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| 18 | 18 | | inmate described by Subsection (a) from placing an advertisement |
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| 19 | 19 | | soliciting a pen pal on an Internet website operated for that |
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| 20 | 20 | | purpose, regardless of whether another person submits or pays for |
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| 21 | 21 | | the advertisement for the inmate. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2023, the Texas |
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| 23 | 23 | | Department of Criminal Justice shall adopt the policy required by |
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| 24 | 24 | | Section 500.009, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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