BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1219

By: Kolkhorst

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, state public information law provides a variety of exceptions from disclosure for certain information, including some security-related measures. However, there are no current exceptions for information related to fraud deterrence, fraud detection, and counterterrorism. State agencies combatting fraudulent activity should be confident that their fraud detection and deterrence methods will not be made public. If this information were made public, criminal actors would have the "playbook" of how to better scheme to defraud the agency. S.B. 1219 seeks to provide confidentiality protections under state public information law for information related to fraud detection and fraud deterrence measures or counterterrorism measures.

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

S.B. 1219 amends the Government Code to make information in the custody of a governmental body that relates to fraud detection and deterrence measures or counterterrorism measures confidential and excepted from the public availability requirement of state public information law.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.