BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 80 By: Shapiro (Madden) 05-09-95 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Current statutes require training for judges and peace officers who work with sexual assault, family violence and child abuse cases. There is not a similar training requirement for these officials who work with sex offense cases in which the victim was a minor. PURPOSE This bill requires training on issues concerning sex offender characteristics for certain judicial and law enforcement officials. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1 amends Sections 22.011(a) and (d), Government Code, to include issues concerning sex offender characteristics as part of judicial training the supreme court is required to provide. SECTION 2 amends Section 415.032(b), Government Code, governing curriculum for law enforcement personnel education given by the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education, to place "the investigation of cases that involve the following:" in new Subdivision (1), to change Subdivisions (1) through (4) of current Subsec. (b) to Subdivisions (A) through (D), and to add a new Subdivision (2) to require that the curriculum include training in issues concerning sex offender characteristics. SECTION 3 amends Section 415.034(b), Government Code, which requires the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education to require local peace officers to take continuing education every 24 months and specifying course contents. The amended language adds a new Subsec. (b)(2)(C) to add "issues concerning sex offender characteristics" to the list of issues which must be included in education and training courses. SECTION 4 requires each non-exempted judge who is in office on December 31, 1995, to complete the judicial training under Section 22.011(d)(8), Government Code, before August 31, 1998. SECTION 5 requires that the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education to establish the courses required by this Act not later than January 1, 1996, and that individuals who are officers on September 1, 1995, complete the first set of courses required under Section 415.034(b)(2)(C), Government Code, before September 1, 1997. SECTION 6. Emergency clause. Effective date. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment No. 1 provides an exception to the training for law enforcement continuing education training on sex offender characteristics, "unless determined by the agency head to be inconsistent with the officer's assigned duties." SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION Pursuant to a public notice posted on May 8, 1995 and pursuant to an announcement made on May 9, 1995, while the House was still in session, the Committee on Judicial Affairs met in a formal meeting on May 9, 1995, to consider S.B. 80. The Chair laid out S.B. 80 and explained the bill. Rep. Thompson, Chair, offered, laid out and explained committee amendment #1. Rep. Thompson moved adoption of the amendment. There being no objection, the amendment was adopted. Rep. Thompson moved that S.B. 80, as amended, be reported back to the full House with the recommendation that it do pass, be printed and sent to the Calendars Committee. The motion prevailed by the following record vote: 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0 PNV and 2 absent.