TITLE: Relating to the provision of medical care to inmates confined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

SUMMARY: Relating to the provision of medical care to inmates confined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to the provision of medical care to inmates confined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "department" means the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. SECTION 2. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. (a) The department shall, not later than October 1, 2015, issue a request for proposals to provide medical care to inmates confined by the department. The department shall determine, and specify in the request, the region of the state for which the medical care is to be provided. The inmates for whom care will be provided must be at least 20,000 in number but not more than 30,000, and must include a representative sample of the physical and mental health and custody classifications of inmates. (b) A response to a request for proposals must be due not later than the 180th day after the date the request for proposals is issued by the department. (c) A contract awarded in response to a request for proposals must require that: (1) the department not spend appropriated money to make a payment under the contract without the prior approval of the Legislative Budget Board; and (2) the provision of medical care begin not later than July 1, 2016. SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2019. SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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.