By Nixon H.B. No. 1538 74R6120 GWK-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the availability to law enforcement agencies of certain 1-3 information relating to inmates in the institutional division of 1-4 the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Section 18, Article 42.18, Code of Criminal 1-7 Procedure, is amended to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 18. Confidential Information. All information obtained 1-9 and maintained in connection with inmates of the institutional 1-10 division subject to parole, release to mandatory supervision, or 1-11 executive clemency, or individuals who may be on mandatory 1-12 supervision or parole and under the supervision of the pardons and 1-13 paroles division, or persons directly identified in any proposed 1-14 plan of release for a prisoner, including victim impact statements, 1-15 lists of inmates eligible for parole, and inmates' arrest records, 1-16 shall be confidential and privileged information and shall not be 1-17 subject to public inspection; provided, however, that all such 1-18 information shall be available to law enforcement agencies, the 1-19 governor, the members of the board, and the Criminal Justice Policy 1-20 Council to perform its duties under Section 413.021, Government 1-21 Code, upon request. It is further provided that statistical and 1-22 general information respecting the parole and mandatory supervision 1-23 program and system, including the names of paroled prisoners, 1-24 prisoners released to mandatory supervision, and data recorded in 2-1 connection with parole and mandatory supervision services, shall be 2-2 subject to public inspection at any reasonable time. 2-3 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-9 passage, and it is so enacted.