HBA-NMO, MPA H.B. 2971 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2971
By: Staples
County Affairs
11/1/1999
Enrolled

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The limited resources of many counties make temporary jailers an attractive
alternative to full-time jailers. Prior to the 76th Legislature, state law
authorized counties to appoint a person  a county jailer on a temporary
basis as long as the person completed a training program  in the operation
of a county jail within one year after the date of the person's original
appointment.   

Facilities of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Institutional
Division (TDCJ-ID) train correctional officers for the job of guarding
prison inmates.  Many counties would like to utilize correctional officers
as part-time, temporary jailers but, prior to the 76th Legislature, the
hours of class time required took away from the correctional officers'
primary job and often they did not continue as temporary jailers for this
reason. H.B. 2971 exempts TDCJ-ID and state jail division trained and
certified correctional officers from the temporary county jailer training
requirements when seeking part-time employment as a county jailer. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 415.054, Government Code, by amending Subsection
(a) and adding Subsection (d), to provide that a person trained and
certified by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve as a
corrections officer in that agency's institutional or state jail division
is not required to complete the training requirements under this section
(Appointment of County Jailer) to be appointed a part-time jailer.
Requires that Section 415.056 (Examination), Government Code, and  Section
415.057 (Psychological and Physical  Examinations) apply to such a person. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.