By Ramsay                                             H.B. No. 2456
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the operation of a toll free crime stoppers telephone
    1-3  service for areas of the state not served by a local crime stoppers
    1-4  program.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Chapter 414, Government Code, is amended by
    1-7  adding Section 414.012 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 414.012.  TOLL FREE TELEPHONE SERVICE.  The council
    1-9  shall establish and operate a toll free telephone service and make
   1-10  the service accessible to persons residing in areas of the state
   1-11  not served by a local crime stoppers program for reporting to the
   1-12  council information about criminal acts.  The toll free service
   1-13  must be available between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. Monday
   1-14  through Thursday and from 5 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m.  Monday.  The
   1-15  council shall forward the information received to appropriate law
   1-16  enforcement agencies or local crime stoppers program.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  Article 102.013(g), Code of Criminal Procedure,
   1-18  is amended to read as follows:
   1-19        (g)  The legislature shall appropriate funds from the crime
   1-20  stoppers assistance account to the Criminal Justice Division of the
   1-21  Governor's Office.  The Criminal Justice Division may use 10
   1-22  percent of the funds for the operation of the toll free telephone
   1-23  service under Section 414.012, Government Code, and shall
    2-1  distribute the remainder of the <these> funds only to local crime
    2-2  stoppers programs.  The Criminal Justice Division may adopt a
    2-3  budget and rules to implement the distribution of these funds.
    2-4        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-5  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-6  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-7  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-8  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-9  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-10  passage, and it is so enacted.