BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1110

By: Shaheen

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author informed the committee of multiple examples of criminal or suspicious activity that individuals were aware of or observed but did not report, including the sexual harassment of Vanessa Guillén at Fort Hood and the sexual assault of a woman on a Philadelphia train in 2021. The author shared with the committee that some suspicious activities go unreported due to the fear of backlash, but Texans can help prevent crimes if afforded certain legal protections. H.B. 1110 seeks to shield individuals who report the suspicious activity of another individual to law enforcement in good faith from civil liability by providing for a limitation on civil suits under such circumstances so long as the report was reasonable.

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. 1110 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to exempt a person who reported the suspicious activity of another person to an appropriate law enforcement authority from a civil action related to that report if the reporting person acted as follows:

·         as a reasonable person would in the same or similar circumstances; and

·         with a reasonable belief that the suspicious activity constituted or was in furtherance of a crime, including an act of terrorism.

H.B. 1110 applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.