BILL ANALYSIS


                                                          S.B. 42
                                                      By: Shapiro
                                      Intergovernmental Relations
                                                           2-8-95
                                       Committee Report (Amended)

BACKGROUND

The volunteer center of Dallas was created by the 73rd Legislature
as a pilot program.  Currently, the Dallas center supplies criminal
history information on potential volunteers and employees to non
profit organizations by obtaining the information from the Texas
Department of Public Safety at the request of a client
organization.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 42 provides volunteer centers access to criminal
history record information.

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.  Repealer:  Section 411.087(e), Government Code (Access
to Criminal History Record Information Maintained by Federal Bureau
of Investigation or Local Justice Agency).  

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 411.126, Government Code, as follows:

     Sec. 411.126.  New Heading: ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD
     INFORMATION: VOLUNTEER CENTERS.  (a)  Redefines "volunteer
     center."
     
     (c)  Authorizes the Texas Department of Public Safety
       (department) to establish rules governing the administration
       of this section and charge volunteer centers a fee to cover
       the department's direct costs of administering this program. 
       Deletes existing Subsection (c).
       
       (d)-(e)  Created from existing text.
       
       (f)  Authorizes two or more volunteer centers to share
       technical and staff resources in the development and
       operation of services for the dissemination of criminal
       history record information with the approval of the
       department.
       
       (g)  Requires that a volunteer center to be held harmless
       for all causes of action based on acts and omissions in
       connection with its actions under this section, except for
       gross negligence or wilful misconduct.
     SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1995.

SECTION 4.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.