BILL ANALYSIS


                                                    C.S.H.B. 1379
                                                By: Allen (Brown)
                                                 Criminal Justice
                                                         05-22-95
                            Senate Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND

Currently, the convictions of the sale, distribution, or display of
harmful material to a minor, employment harmful to children, and
the first through third convictions of public lewdness are not
reportable.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.H.B. 1379 amends the procedures for notification,
registration, release, and supervision of sex offenders.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 2, Article 6252-13c.1, V.T.C.S., by
amending Subsections (a) and (b) and by adding Subsection (d), as
follows:

     (a)  Requires a person who has a reportable conviction or
     adjudication to register or verify information with the local
     enforcement authority in any municipality where the person
     resides or intends to reside for more than seven days. 
     Requires the person to register or verify registration in any
     county where the person resides or intends to reside for more
     than seven days.  Requires the person to satisfy the
     requirements of this subsection not later than the seventh day
     after the person's arrival in the municipality or county.
     
     (b)  Requires the Department of Public Safety (department) to
     provide the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas
     Youth Commission, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission,
     each local law enforcement authority, and court with a form
     for registering persons required by this article to register.
     
     (d)  Requires the court, on the day a court pronounces a
     sentence for a person who is subject to registration under
     this article, to inform the person of the person's duty to
     register and require the person to sign a statement that the
     person was informed of the duty, or if the person refuses to
     sign the statement, certify that the person was informed of
     the duty; and complete the registration form for the person
     and send the form to the department and to a penal institution
     or the local enforcement authority in the municipality or
     unincorporated area of the county in which the person expects
     to reside.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 9, Article 6252-13c.1, V.T.C.S., as
follows:

     Sec. 9.  EXPIRATION OF DUTY TO REGISTER. (a)  Sets forth
     conditions in which, after 10 years have elapsed, the duty of
     a person with a reportable adjudication under Section 1(5)(D)
     of this article to register, ends.
     
     (b)  Provides that the duty to register for a person with a
       reportable conviction, other than a conviction for a
       violation of Section 21.11(a)(1), 22.021, or 43.25, Penal
       Code, ends on the 10th anniversary of the date on which the
       person is released from the institutional division of the
       Texas Department of Criminal Justice or the person
       discharges parole or community supervision, whichever date
       is later.
       
       (c)  Makes conforming changes.
       
       SECTION 3.   Makes application of Article 6252-13c.1, V.T.C.S., as
amended by this Act, prospective.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 1995.

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.