The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice advanced House Bill 3464 on May 20. The bill increases criminal penalties for correctional facility employees who provide or possess with intent to provide controlled substances, dangerous drugs or alcohol to incarcerated persons.

Sponsor Senator Royce West summarized the committee substitute, saying the substitute “makes it a second degree felony if a person brings a controlled substance or dangerous drug into the correctional facility. If it's used and the person dies, it makes it a first degree felony.”

Law-enforcement witnesses described operational harms. Matthew Ferguson, a major in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office detention command, urged support: “On any given day, there are about 10,000 inmates in the Harris County Jail. Drugs inside the jail affect the employees and the prisoners we serve… the Harris County Jail has seen an increase in overdoses.”

Charlie Malouf, vice president of Texas CURE (a criminal-justice advocacy organization) and a formerly incarcerated person, told the committee staff involvement can amount to “organized profit” and described repeated lockdowns that follow drug incidents. “Compounding this problem is a punitive action with no due process for those who are innocent,” Malouf said, adding that staff who facilitate introduction of drugs should face criminal liability for resulting assaults and injuries.

Captain Mike Santos of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office described a recent on-duty fentanyl overdose: “Just had a girl last week rushed to the hospital she took fentanyl… staff is bringing it in and we need to send a stronger message to them.”

Why it matters: Witnesses said contraband narcotics introduced by staff elevate overdose risk and make detention environments dangerous. Testimony emphasized both public-safety and staff-safety rationales for harsher penalties and stronger investigative attention.

Committee action: The committee approved the committee substitute and reported the bill to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation (committee roll call recorded in transcript as the committee substitute for HB 3464 reported favorably).

Next steps: With the committee’s favorable recommendation the bill proceeds to the full Senate. Law-enforcement witnesses urged increased investigative resources to pursue staff involved in smuggling.