BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 2289 89R3437 BCH-D By: Miles Criminal Justice 3/28/2025 As Filed AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT Jail overcrowding is an issue across the state. Jails that exceed their capacity are forced to send individuals to other facilities. Some contract with out of state jails and if prisoners die in those jails, the deaths have not been counted in Texas as a death in a jail. Because Texas cannot regulate out-of-state jails, it is important to know how many individuals are being sent to these facilities and how many deaths have occurred. S.B. 2289 requires all jails in the state to report to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) how many prisoners are confined in out of state jails. In addition, it requires TCJS to create an annual report on the number of individuals in out-of-state jails and the total number of deaths that have occurred in them. This will provide additional transparency on where Texas is sending jail inmates and what happens to them. As proposed, S.B. 2289 amends current law relating to reports regarding county jail prisoners confined in out-of-state jails. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 511, Government Code, by adding Section 511.01055, as follows: Sec. 511.01055. REPORTS REGARDING PRISONERS CONFINED IN OUT-OF-STATE JAILS. (a) Requires each county jail, not later than February 1 of each year, to submit to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) a report regarding the confinement of prisoners in out-of-state jails during the preceding calendar year due to overcrowding in the county jail. Requires that the report include the total number of prisoners confined in out-of-state jails and the total number of prisoners who died while confined in out-of-state jails. (b) Requires TCJS to prescribe a form for the report required by Subsection (a). (c) Requires TCJS, not later than March 1 of each year, to submit a report summarizing the information submitted under Subsection (a) for the preceding calendar year to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each standing committee of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over TCJS. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 2289
89R3437 BCH-D By: Miles
Criminal Justice
3/28/2025
As Filed
Senate Research Center
S.B. 2289
89R3437 BCH-D
By: Miles
Criminal Justice
3/28/2025
As Filed
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Jail overcrowding is an issue across the state. Jails that exceed their capacity are forced to send individuals to other facilities. Some contract with out of state jails and if prisoners die in those jails, the deaths have not been counted in Texas as a death in a jail. Because Texas cannot regulate out-of-state jails, it is important to know how many individuals are being sent to these facilities and how many deaths have occurred.
S.B. 2289 requires all jails in the state to report to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) how many prisoners are confined in out of state jails. In addition, it requires TCJS to create an annual report on the number of individuals in out-of-state jails and the total number of deaths that have occurred in them. This will provide additional transparency on where Texas is sending jail inmates and what happens to them.
As proposed, S.B. 2289 amends current law relating to reports regarding county jail prisoners confined in out-of-state jails.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 511, Government Code, by adding Section 511.01055, as follows:
Sec. 511.01055. REPORTS REGARDING PRISONERS CONFINED IN OUT-OF-STATE JAILS. (a) Requires each county jail, not later than February 1 of each year, to submit to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) a report regarding the confinement of prisoners in out-of-state jails during the preceding calendar year due to overcrowding in the county jail. Requires that the report include the total number of prisoners confined in out-of-state jails and the total number of prisoners who died while confined in out-of-state jails.
(b) Requires TCJS to prescribe a form for the report required by Subsection (a).
(c) Requires TCJS, not later than March 1 of each year, to submit a report summarizing the information submitted under Subsection (a) for the preceding calendar year to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each standing committee of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over TCJS.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.