| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
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. |