Bill Text: TX HB968 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmate grievance system.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-20 - Left pending in committee [HB968 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB968-Introduced.html
| 83R5054 MEW-F | ||
| By: Turner of Harris | H.B. No. 968 | |
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| relating to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmate | ||
| grievance system. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 501.008, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows: | ||
| (b-1) The department shall implement and enforce a | ||
| zero-tolerance policy for failure to protect inmates from | ||
| retaliation for filing a grievance. | ||
| (b-2) The department shall annually submit to the governor, | ||
| lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and | ||
| appropriate standing committees of the legislature a comprehensive | ||
| report containing: | ||
| (1) the number and nature of grievances filed on each | ||
| unit; | ||
| (2) the number and nature of grievances appealed to | ||
| the highest authority provided for in the grievance system from | ||
| each unit; | ||
| (3) if the highest authority provided for in the | ||
| grievance system overturns a unit grievance: | ||
| (A) a detailed explanation describing the | ||
| reasons for the denial of the original grievance; | ||
| (B) the response given to the inmate on the | ||
| original grievance; and | ||
| (C) the reason that the unit grievance was | ||
| overturned; | ||
| (4) an overview of what each unit would need to resolve | ||
| future grievances, based on the number and nature of grievances | ||
| filed at the unit level and appealed to the highest authority | ||
| provided for in the grievance system; and | ||
| (5) an overview, across units, of major causes for | ||
| grievances, identifying patterns of commonly recurring problems | ||
| and making recommendations in regard to addressing those recurring | ||
| problems. | ||
| SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall | ||
| submit the first report required by Section 501.008(b-2), | ||
| Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, | ||
| 2014. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
