BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4615

By: Bumgarner

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, certain information relating to a military service member's addresses, service, pay, and medical history is considered confidential and exempted from disclosure under state public information law. H.B. 4615 seeks to preserve the sensitive information of military service members by adding a service member's Department of Defense identification number to this list of confidential information.

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

H.B. 4615 amends the Government Code to include the Department of Defense identification number among the confidential military personnel information of a member or former member of the state military forces or a component of the U.S. armed forces, including a reserve component, that is confidential and not subject to disclosure under state public information law. The bill applies only to a request for information that is received by a governmental body or an officer for public information on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.