Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2997 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R11000 BCH-F
2	2	By: Bryant H.B. No. 2997
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the temperature at which certain facilities operated by
10	10	the Texas Department of Criminal Justice are maintained.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is
13	13	amended by adding Sections 501.028 and 501.029 to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 501.028. TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS AT DEPARTMENT
15	15	FACILITIES. (a) The department shall ensure that the temperature
16	16	in each facility operated by the department and used to house
17	17	inmates or in which department staff regularly work is maintained
18	18	at not less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 85 degrees
19	19	Fahrenheit.
20	20	(b) The department shall install and maintain an electronic
21	21	temperature gauge in the following areas of each facility described
22	22	by Subsection (a):
23	23	(1) hospitals;
24	24	(2) visiting areas;
25	25	(3) housing or dormitory areas;
26	26	(4) trustee areas;
27	27	(5) areas used for medical treatment or care,
28	28	including areas used for dispensing medication to inmates;
29	29	(6) kitchens or dining areas;
30	30	(7) food preparation areas;
31	31	(8) community areas, including dayrooms;
32	32	(9) laundry areas;
33	33	(10) areas used for work stations;
34	34	(11) indoor recreational areas, including gymnasiums;
35	35	(12) restroom and shower areas and other areas related
36	36	to inmate hygiene;
37	37	(13) administrative areas;
38	38	(14) correctional officer stations, including guard
39	39	post areas;
40	40	(15) commissary areas;
41	41	(16) areas used for programmatic, educational, or
42	42	vocational purposes;
43	43	(17) chapels or churches;
44	44	(18) libraries; and
45	45	(19) maintenance areas.
46	46	(c) The department shall:
47	47	(1) maintain a log of the temperatures recorded by
48	48	each electronic temperature gauge under Subsection (b) on an hourly
49	49	basis in an electronic format; and
50	50	(2) publish the log, at least quarterly, on the
51	51	department's publicly accessible Internet website.
52	52	Sec. 501.029. REPORT REGARDING AIR CONDITIONING. Not later
53	53	than December 1 of each year, the department shall submit to the
54	54	governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
55	55	representatives, and each standing committee of the legislature
56	56	with primary jurisdiction over the department a report regarding
57	57	air conditioning in facilities operated by the department and used
58	58	to house inmates or in which department staff regularly work. The
59	59	report must include the following information for the preceding
60	60	12-month period:
61	61	(1) the number of facilities in which the air
62	62	conditioning system has failed;
63	63	(2) the number of incidents in which the air
64	64	conditioning in a facility was not operational and the reason for
65	65	each incident;
66	66	(3) the number of incidents in which the temperature
67	67	was not maintained at the temperature range required under Section
68	68	501.028(a) and the reason for each incident;
69	69	(4) for each incident described by Subdivision (2)
70	70	that was due to an equipment malfunction, a summary of the steps
71	71	taken by the department to address the malfunction and ensure the
72	72	well-being of inmates and staff at the facility; and
73	73	(5) for each incident described by Subdivision (3), a
74	74	summary of the steps taken by the department to address the cause of
75	75	the incident and ensure the well-being of inmates and staff at the
76	76	facility.
77	77	SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is
78	78	not required to fully comply with the requirements of Section
79	79	501.028, Government Code, as added by this Act, until September 1,
80	80	2026.
81	81	(b) Not later than September 1, 2026, the Texas Department
82	82	of Criminal Justice shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant
83	83	governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each
84	84	standing committee of the legislature with primary jurisdiction
85	85	over the department a report regarding the department's progress
86	86	toward complying with Section 501.028, Government Code, as added by
87	87	this Act, in all facilities to which that section applies.
88	88	(c) The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall submit
89	89	the first report required by Section 501.029, Government Code, as
90	90	added by this Act, not later than December 1, 2027.
91	91	SECTION 3. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
92	92	section, this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of
93	93	two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by
94	94	Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not
95	95	receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes
96	96	effect September 1, 2025.
97	97	(b) Section 501.029, Government Code, as added by this Act,
98	98	takes effect September 1, 2027.