| 1 | 1 | | 89R3708 JDK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 697 |
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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 an annual report by the Texas Department of Criminal |
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| 10 | 10 | | Justice on post-release or post-discharge employment and certain |
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| 11 | 11 | | other inmate data. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 14 | 14 | | adding Section 493.036 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 493.036. ANNUAL REPORT ON POST-RELEASE OR |
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| 16 | 16 | | POST-DISCHARGE EMPLOYMENT AND CERTAIN OTHER INMATE DATA. (a) Not |
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| 17 | 17 | | later than January 30 of each year, the department shall: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) submit to the legislature a report that includes: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) the number of inmates confined in a facility |
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| 20 | 20 | | operated by or under contract with the department during the |
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| 21 | 21 | | previous state fiscal year, disaggregated by offense, parole |
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| 22 | 22 | | eligibility, race, ethnicity, and gender; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) the following employment information for |
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| 24 | 24 | | inmates released or discharged from the department during the |
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| 25 | 25 | | previous state fiscal year: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (i) the average amount of time for the |
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| 27 | 27 | | inmate to obtain employment following release or discharge, |
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| 28 | 28 | | disaggregated by whether the inmate received training through |
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| 29 | 29 | | career and technical education programs organized or sponsored by |
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| 30 | 30 | | the department or the Windham School District; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (ii) the number of inmates who applied for |
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| 32 | 32 | | and the number who received an occupational license following |
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| 33 | 33 | | release or discharge; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (C) the following information for inmates |
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| 35 | 35 | | released or discharged from the department during the previous |
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| 36 | 36 | | three state fiscal years, disaggregated by facility of release or |
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| 37 | 37 | | discharge: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (i) the number of inmates employed, |
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| 39 | 39 | | categorized by industry; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (ii) the median wage of the inmates |
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| 41 | 41 | | employed, categorized by industry; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) publish the report on the department's Internet |
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| 43 | 43 | | website. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) The department may enter into an agreement with the |
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| 45 | 45 | | Texas Workforce Commission or other third parties as necessary to |
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| 46 | 46 | | facilitate the department's duties under Subsection (a). |
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| 47 | 47 | | (c) The board may adopt rules necessary to administer this |
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| 48 | 48 | | section. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 30, 2026, the Texas |
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| 50 | 50 | | Department of Criminal Justice shall submit the first report |
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| 51 | 51 | | required by Section 493.036(a), Government Code, as added by this |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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