By Wise                                               H.B. No. 1153

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the powers and duties of the missing children and

 1-3     missing persons information clearinghouse.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 79.003(b), Human Resources Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (b)  The clearinghouse shall, if money is appropriated for

 1-8     that purpose:

 1-9                 (1)  establish a system of intrastate communication of

1-10     information relating to missing children, [and] missing persons,

1-11     and unidentified dead bodies;

1-12                 (2)  provide a centralized file for the exchange of

1-13     information on missing children, missing persons, and unidentified

1-14     dead bodies within the state;

1-15                 (3)  communicate with the national crime information

1-16     center for the exchange of information on missing children and

1-17     missing persons suspected of interstate travel;

1-18                 (4)  collect, process, maintain, and disseminate

1-19     accurate and complete information on missing children and missing

1-20     persons, including methods of locating and recovering missing

1-21     children and missing persons;

1-22                 (5)  provide a statewide toll-free telephone line for

1-23     the reporting of missing children and missing persons, [and] for

1-24     receiving information on missing children and missing persons, and

 2-1     for reporting sightings of missing children and missing persons;

 2-2     [and]

 2-3                 (6)  provide and disseminate to legal custodians, law

 2-4     enforcement agencies, and the Central Education Agency information

 2-5     that explains how to prevent child abduction and what to do if a

 2-6     child becomes missing;

 2-7                 (7)  coordinate with and provide assistance to

 2-8     national, state, and local public and private nonprofit agencies in

 2-9     locating and recovering missing children and missing persons and in

2-10     identifying unidentified persons and unidentified dead bodies;

2-11                 (8)  develop a uniform reporting and investigating

2-12     protocol relating to missing children and missing persons for law

2-13     enforcement agencies to use throughout the state;

2-14                 (9)  from the information maintained by the

2-15     clearinghouse, publish and disseminate on a regular basis to the

2-16     public and to national, state, and local public and private

2-17     nonprofit agencies a directory of missing children and missing

2-18     persons;

2-19                 (10)  compile statistics on the number of missing

2-20     children cases handled and resolved by the clearinghouse each year,

2-21     including a summary of the facts of each case;

2-22                 (11)  assist in preparing and disseminating fliers and

2-23     other types of information concerning missing children and missing

2-24     persons and individuals believed to be abductors of missing

2-25     children and missing persons;

2-26                 (12)  assist in training law enforcement and other

2-27     professionals on issues relating to missing children, missing

 3-1     persons, unidentified persons, and unidentified dead bodies; and

 3-2                 (13)  operate a resource center on information

 3-3     regarding the prevention of the abduction and sexual exploitation

 3-4     of missing, exploited, and abused children.

 3-5           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-10     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-11     passage, and it is so enacted.