JWW C.S.H.B. 1058 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS PUBLIC SAFETY C.S.H.B. 1058 By: Allen 4-7-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND A peace officer who investigates an offense or traffic accident is required to file a report. Currently, a officer's supervisor can make changes, or order that changes be made to the report. These subsequent changes are included in the original report. However, the name of the person making changes to the written report is not required whatsoever. PURPOSE This bill will allow an accident report to be changed if accompanied by a written supplemental report which identifies the person making the changes. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 2, Code of Criminal Procedure, by adding Article 2.26. CHANGING AN ACCIDENT REPORT. (a) A change made to a vehicle accident report may be modified by the peace officer or person submitting the report. (b) Anyone other than the peace officer may change or modify a written accident report, but any change must be contained in a written supplement to the report which clearly states the name of the person who made the change. SECTION 2. Effective Date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency Clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE SECTION 1 (a) Originally contained a definition of "accident report." Substitute states that a written accident report may be altered by the peace officer who prepared it. (b) Originally stated that peace officer acting in an official capacity could make changes to a written accident report. The substitute states that anyone other than the peace officer preparing the report may do so only by complying with subsections (1) and (2), which are not changed by the substitute.