Texas Government Code 501.063 – Inmate Fee for Health Care
(a)(1) An inmate confined in a facility operated by or under contract with the department, other than a halfway house, who initiates a visit to a health care provider shall pay a health care services fee to the department in the amount of $13.55 per visit, except that an inmate may not be required to pay more than $100 during a state fiscal year.
(2) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1046 (H.B. 812), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2019.
(3) The inmate shall pay the fee out of the inmate’s trust fund. If the balance in the fund is insufficient to cover the fee, 50 percent of each deposit to the fund shall be applied toward the balance owed until the total amount owed is paid.
(b) The department shall adopt policies to ensure that before any deductions are made from an inmate’s trust fund under this section, the inmate is informed that the health care services fee will be deducted from the inmate’s trust fund as required by Subsection (a).
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 501.063
- Comptroller: means the state comptroller of public accounts. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) The department may not deny an inmate access to health care as a result of the inmate’s failure or inability to pay a fee under this section.
(d) The department shall deposit money received under this section in an account in the general revenue fund that may be used only to pay the cost of correctional health care. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the comptroller shall transfer any surplus from the preceding fiscal year to the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund.