Bill Text: TX SB697 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to an annual report by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on post-release or post-discharge employment and certain other inmate data.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-03 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB697 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB697-Introduced.html
| 89R3708 JDK-D | ||
| By: West | S.B. No. 697 | |
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| relating to an annual report by the Texas Department of Criminal | ||
| Justice on post-release or post-discharge employment and certain | ||
| other inmate data. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 493.036 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 493.036. ANNUAL REPORT ON POST-RELEASE OR | ||
| POST-DISCHARGE EMPLOYMENT AND CERTAIN OTHER INMATE DATA. (a) Not | ||
| later than January 30 of each year, the department shall: | ||
| (1) submit to the legislature a report that includes: | ||
| (A) the number of inmates confined in a facility | ||
| operated by or under contract with the department during the | ||
| previous state fiscal year, disaggregated by offense, parole | ||
| eligibility, race, ethnicity, and gender; | ||
| (B) the following employment information for | ||
| inmates released or discharged from the department during the | ||
| previous state fiscal year: | ||
| (i) the average amount of time for the | ||
| inmate to obtain employment following release or discharge, | ||
| disaggregated by whether the inmate received training through | ||
| career and technical education programs organized or sponsored by | ||
| the department or the Windham School District; and | ||
| (ii) the number of inmates who applied for | ||
| and the number who received an occupational license following | ||
| release or discharge; and | ||
| (C) the following information for inmates | ||
| released or discharged from the department during the previous | ||
| three state fiscal years, disaggregated by facility of release or | ||
| discharge: | ||
| (i) the number of inmates employed, | ||
| categorized by industry; and | ||
| (ii) the median wage of the inmates | ||
| employed, categorized by industry; and | ||
| (2) publish the report on the department's Internet | ||
| website. | ||
| (b) The department may enter into an agreement with the | ||
| Texas Workforce Commission or other third parties as necessary to | ||
| facilitate the department's duties under Subsection (a). | ||
| (c) The board may adopt rules necessary to administer this | ||
| section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than January 30, 2026, the Texas | ||
| Department of Criminal Justice shall submit the first report | ||
| required by Section 493.036(a), Government Code, as added by this | ||
| Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
