By Wise                                               H.B. No. 1153

         75R4826 JMM-D                           

                                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:

 1-8                 (1)  establish a system of intrastate communication of

 1-9     information relating to missing children, [and] missing persons,

1-10     and unidentified dead bodies;

1-11                 (2)  provide a centralized file for the exchange of

1-12     information on missing children, missing persons, and unidentified

1-13     dead bodies within the state;

1-14                 (3)  communicate with the national crime information

1-15     center for the exchange of information on missing children and

1-16     missing persons suspected of interstate travel;

1-17                 (4)  collect, process, maintain, and disseminate

1-18     accurate and complete information on missing children and missing

1-19     persons, including methods of locating and recovering missing

1-20     children and missing persons;

1-21                 (5)  provide a statewide toll-free telephone line for

1-22     the reporting of missing children and missing persons, [and] for

1-23     receiving information on missing children and missing persons, and

1-24     for reporting sightings of missing children and missing persons;

 2-1     [and]

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

 2-3     enforcement agencies, and the Central Education Agency information

 2-4     that explains how to prevent child abduction and what to do if a

 2-5     child becomes missing;

 2-6                 (7)  coordinate with and provide assistance to

 2-7     national, state, and local public and private nonprofit agencies in

 2-8     locating and recovering missing children and missing persons and in

 2-9     identifying unidentified persons and unidentified dead bodies;

2-10                 (8)  develop a uniform reporting and investigating

2-11     protocol relating to missing children and missing persons for law

2-12     enforcement agencies to use throughout the state;

2-13                 (9)  from the information maintained by the

2-14     clearinghouse, publish and disseminate on a regular basis to the

2-15     public and to national, state, and local public and private

2-16     nonprofit agencies a directory of missing children and missing

2-17     persons;

2-18                 (10)  compile statistics on the number of missing

2-19     children cases handled and resolved by the clearinghouse each year,

2-20     including a summary of the facts of each case;

2-21                 (11)  assist in preparing and disseminating fliers and

2-22     other types of information concerning missing children and missing

2-23     persons and individuals believed to be abductors of missing

2-24     children and missing persons;

2-25                 (12)  assist in training law enforcement and other

2-26     professionals on issues relating to missing children, missing

2-27     persons, unidentified persons, and unidentified dead bodies; and

 3-1                 (13)  operate a resource center on information

 3-2     regarding the prevention of the abduction and sexual exploitation

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

 3-4           SECTION 2.  The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the

 3-5     house of representatives shall create a joint interim study

 3-6     committee to report to the 76th Legislature, Regular Session,

 3-7     1999, on the feasibility of establishing the missing children and

 3-8     missing persons information clearinghouse as a separate state

 3-9     agency.  The Department of Public Safety shall provide assistance

3-10     to the committee in performing its duties under this section.

3-11           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-16     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-17     passage, and it is so enacted.

3-18                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1

3-19           Amend H.B. 1153 as follows:

3-20           On page 1, line 7, insert ", if money is appropriated for

3-21     that purpose", between "shall", and ":".

3-22                                                                  Oakley