Bill

HB 4468

86(R) - 2019
House County Affairs
Senate Criminal Justice
House County Affairs
Senate Criminal Justice
Corrections
Health

Vote Recommendation

Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Garnet F. Coleman

Co-Author(s)

Nicole Collier
Yvonne Davis

Sponsor(s)

John Whitmire

Bill Caption

Relating to county jails and community mental health programs in certain counties.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Bill Analysis

Current law requires the Commission on Jail Standards to adopt reasonable rules to adopt reasonable rules and procedures to ensure the safety of prisoners, including rules and procedures that require a county jail to give prisoners the ability to access a mental health professional at the jail or through a telemental health service 24 hours a day.

HB 4468 would add to that requirement by stipulating that if a mental health professional is not at the county jail at the time, then the jail must use all reasonable efforts to arrange for the inmate to have access to a mental health professional within a reasonable time.

The bill would also require a county jailer appointed on a temporary basis to be enrolled in the preparatory training program on or before the 90th day after their temporary appointment.

Vote Recommendation Notes

HB 4468 is an administrative bill with no apparent connection to our liberty principles, therefore we remain neutral.