By Jones of Lubbock                             H.B. No. 1419

      75R4401 JD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to public access to conviction information maintained by

 1-3     the Texas Department of Public Safety.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 411, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 411.132 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 411.132.  ACCESS TO CONVICTION INFORMATION BY PUBLIC.

 1-8     (a)  Any person is entitled to obtain from the department criminal

 1-9     history record information maintained by the department that

1-10     relates to:

1-11                 (1)  the conviction of a person for any offense; or

1-12                 (2)  the dismissal of proceedings against a person

1-13     under Section 5, Article 42.12, or Article 45.54, Code of Criminal

1-14     Procedure.

1-15           (b)  A person who obtains criminal history record information

1-16     from the department under Subsection (a) may:

1-17                 (1)  use the information for any purpose; or

1-18                 (2)  release the information to any other person.

1-19           (c)  The department shall permit a person to submit a single

1-20     request for criminal history record information pertaining to more

1-21     than one individual.

1-22           SECTION 2.  Before January 1, 1998, the department by rule

1-23     shall adopt procedures and forms to implement Section 411.132,

1-24     Government Code, as added by this Act.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-2           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.