Texas Minimum Jail Standards, 37 TAC §261.147: Vermin Control Is a Construction Rule, Not a Service Requirement

Citation

Texas Administrative Code, Title 37, Part 9 (Texas Commission on Jail Standards). Section 261.147 (Vermin Control) sits in Chapter 261 (Existing Construction Rules). The same sentence appears in the construction chapters for new facilities (Chapter 259) and county correctional centers (Chapter 260). Read from the Commission’s own compilation dated June 16, 2026, and cross-checked against the Legal Information Institute’s copy of §261.147, on September 26, 2026. The Texas Secretary of State’s official TAC viewer is a JavaScript application that could not be downloaded; the Commission’s compilation is the source used.

What It Says (Verbatim)

§261.147 Vermin Control (the section in full):

“Facility construction shall protect against the entrance and infestation of vermin. Materials and construction design shall contribute to efficient maintenance and housekeeping.”

§261.148 Windows and Screens (excerpt):

“Operable windows shall be equipped with insect screens.”

§279.1, the operational sanitation plan (lead-in):

“Each facility shall have and implement a written plan, reviewed and approved by the commission, for the maintenance of an acceptable level of cleanliness and sanitation throughout the facility.”

§279.2:

“Such plan shall specify how and by whom the foregoing provisions are to be met.”

Intake health screening, §273.4(a)(6):

“(6) inventory of body deformities, ease of movement, markings, condition of body orifices, and presence of lice and vermin.”

What It Means in Plain Language

1. Vermin appear in the building rules. §261.147 and its twins govern how a jail is built: construction must keep vermin out and support efficient housekeeping.
2. The operating rules are silent on pest service. Chapter 279 requires a written sanitation plan, approved by the Commission, that says how and by whom cleaning is done. It sets no pest control frequency and names no licensed provider.
3. Intake screening covers lice and vermin on the person (§273.4(a)(6)).
4. What that leaves. A Texas jail’s pest program is whatever its own approved sanitation plan and its contract say. The standards do not supply a floor, so the plan and the service records are the whole record.

Who It Applies To

County jails and county correctional centers under the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The Commission’s duty under Tex. Gov’t Code § 511.009(a)(1), quoted above, is to set minimum standards for the construction, equipment, maintenance, and operation of county jails.

The Commission’s rulemaking duty, Tex. Gov’t Code § 511.009(a)(1):

“(1) adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum standards for the construction, equipment, maintenance, and operation of county jails;”

Documentation Evidence

• The Commission-approved sanitation plan (Chapter 279), and whether it addresses pests at all
• Any pest control contract and service records
• Construction and repair records for screens, door sweeps, and other exclusion work
• Intake screening records for lice and vermin

Confidence Notes

HIGH confidence. §261.147 was read in the Commission’s June 16, 2026 and January 5, 2026 compilations and matched in the Legal Information Institute’s copy. The Chapter 279 and §273.4 text was read in the June 2026 compilation. The Commission’s August 2026 adopted-rules notice amends none of the sections quoted. The statement that Chapter 279 names no pest service is a documented negative from a full-text search of the compilation.