| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the treatment of certain inmates of the Texas |
|
|
Department of Criminal Justice. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 501.0514 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 501.0514. REQUIREMENTS REGARDING TREATMENT OF |
|
|
LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS. (a) In this section, |
|
|
"life-threatening condition" means a medical condition affecting |
|
|
an inmate that, without ongoing direct care by a physician, could |
|
|
result in the death of the inmate. The term includes: |
|
|
(1) viral or focal encephalitis; |
|
|
(2) schizophrenia; |
|
|
(3) brain tumors; |
|
|
(4) glioblastomas; |
|
|
(5) intracerebral hemorrhage; |
|
|
(6) stroke; |
|
|
(7) brain aneurysm; |
|
|
(8) trigeminal neuralgia; |
|
|
(9) acute liver failure; and |
|
|
(10) cardiac arrest. |
|
|
(b) The department shall adopt a policy requiring an inmate |
|
|
suffering from a life-threatening condition to be under the ongoing |
|
|
direct care of a physician in the relevant specialty. |
|
|
(c) The policy must prohibit: |
|
|
(1) an inmate being treated for a life-threatening |
|
|
condition from being transferred to the care of a medical |
|
|
professional who is not a physician unless the inmate's treating |
|
|
physician authorizes the transfer in writing; and |
|
|
(2) a medical professional who is not a physician from |
|
|
changing any treatment, including a prescription medication, |
|
|
ordered by the inmate's treating physician. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |