BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2660

By: Oliverson

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, law enforcement agencies are not required to notify neighboring jurisdictions when they receive a missing persons report. In some circumstances, like that of Timothy Perez, not doing so can have catastrophic consequences. Last year, Timothy was reported missing to the Austin Police Department, and a few days later, he was encountered by the Round Rock Police Department. Because these two agencies were not sharing missing persons information, despite being neighboring jurisdictions, the Round Rock Police Department did not know that Timothy was a missing person in distress. As such, he was not detained and was later found deceased. It is not uncommon for missing persons to travel across various law enforcement agencies' jurisdictional boundaries. When a person is reported missing in one jurisdiction, there is currently no mechanism for neighboring law enforcement agencies to be made aware so that they, too, can be searching for the person. C.S.H.B. 2660 seeks to address this issue by enacting Tim's Law, which requires a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a missing child or person to electronically submit to each municipal or county law enforcement agency within 200 miles the report and any information that may help determine the present location of the child or person within 48 hours of receiving the report.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2660 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require a law enforcement agency, not later than 48 hours after receiving a report of a missing child or missing person, to electronically submit to each municipal or county law enforcement agency within 200 miles the report and any information that may help determine the present location of the child or person. The bill requires the law enforcement agency also to inform the person who filed the report that the report and the information will be submitted to each of these additional agencies. The bill applies only to a report of a missing child or missing person that is made to a law enforcement agency on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2660 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a short title for the bill's provisions, which is Tim's Law, whereas the introduced did not include a short title.