H.B. No. 2997 mandates that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) maintain the temperature in facilities housing inmates or where staff work between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The bill introduces new sections to the Government Code, specifically Sections 501.028 and 501.029. Under Section 501.028, TDCJ is required to install electronic temperature gauges in various areas of each facility, including hospitals, kitchens, and recreational areas, and maintain a log of temperature readings, which must be published quarterly on the department's website. Section 501.029 requires TDCJ to submit an annual report to state leadership detailing air conditioning failures and incidents where temperature regulations were not met.

The bill allows TDCJ until September 1, 2026, to fully comply with the temperature maintenance requirements, with a progress report due to state leadership by that date. The first report under Section 501.029 is due by December 1, 2027. The act will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025, with the reporting requirements starting on September 1, 2027.

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