| 1 | 1 | | 89R15570 MCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Collier H.B. No. 3841 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the investigation of the death of a prisoner in county |
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| 10 | 10 | | jail. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 511.021, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (b-1), (d), and (e) |
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| 14 | 14 | | to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a) Not later than the 30th day after the date on which the |
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| 16 | 16 | | commission is notified of a [On the] death of a prisoner in a county |
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| 17 | 17 | | jail, the commission shall appoint a law enforcement agency, other |
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| 18 | 18 | | than the local law enforcement agency that operates the county |
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| 19 | 19 | | jail, to investigate the death [as soon as possible]. Except as |
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| 20 | 20 | | [otherwise] provided by Subsection (b), the appointed law |
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| 21 | 21 | | enforcement agency shall conduct the investigation and shall begin |
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| 22 | 22 | | the investigation as soon as practicable after being appointed |
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| 23 | 23 | | under this subsection. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b-1) As soon as practicable after a law enforcement agency |
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| 25 | 25 | | is appointed by the commission under Subsection (a), the agency |
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| 26 | 26 | | shall notify the commission regarding whether the agency is |
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| 27 | 27 | | accepting the appointment or intends to present evidence to the |
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| 28 | 28 | | commission under Subsection (b). |
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| 29 | 29 | | (d) The commission shall publish on the commission's |
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| 30 | 30 | | Internet website the following information for each death of a |
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| 31 | 31 | | prisoner in a county jail: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) the county where the death occurred; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) the date that the death occurred; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) the name of the law enforcement agency appointed |
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| 35 | 35 | | under Subsection (a) to investigate the death; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (4) the date on which the law enforcement agency was |
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| 37 | 37 | | appointed; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (5) if the commission determines there is a conflict |
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| 39 | 39 | | of interest with the appointed law enforcement agency: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (A) the name of the new law enforcement agency |
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| 41 | 41 | | appointed to investigate the death; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (B) the date on which the new law enforcement |
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| 43 | 43 | | agency was appointed; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (6) whether the investigation is pending or completed. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (e) The information described by Subsection (d) must: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) be updated monthly; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (2) remain published on the Internet website until at |
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| 48 | 48 | | least the second anniversary of the date of the prisoner's death. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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