HBA-NRS H.B. 2179 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2179 By: Hochberg Civil Practices 7/20/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth Commission, and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission contract the services of chaplains or spiritual advisors to provide for the religious needs of criminal offenders. There have been cases in which chaplains or spiritual advisors have been named in lawsuits because of their involvement with the particular agencies for which their services are contracted. House Bill 2179 requires the state to indemnify a chaplain or spiritual advisor who has contracted to perform services for an agency in a cause of action based on conduct from which damages arise out of certain acts or omissions involving negligence or deprivation of a right, privilege, or immunity. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 2179 requires the state, in a cause of action based on conduct from which damages arise out of certain acts or omissions involving negligence or deprivation of a right, privilege, or immunity, to indemnify a chaplain or spiritual advisor who was performing services under contract with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth Commission, or the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission when the act or omission on which the damages are based occurred. EFFECTIVE DATE June 15, 2001.