By Hill                                         H.B. No. 2653

      75R9009 PEP-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the availability of information regarding a registered

 1-3     sex offender to members of the public.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 5, Article 6252-13c.1, Revised Statutes,

 1-6     is amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (d)

 1-7     and (e) to read as follows:

 1-8           (c)  A local law enforcement authority shall:

 1-9                 (1)  make public information described under Subsection

1-10     (b) of this section regarding any person who is registered with the

1-11     authority as required by this article available to the public

1-12     through the Internet to the extent the authority determines is

1-13     feasible; and

1-14                 (2)  release public information described under

1-15     Subsection (b) of this section to any person who submits to the

1-16     authority a written request for the information.

1-17           (d)  The authority may charge a [the] person who requests

1-18     information under Subsection (c)(2) a fee not to exceed the amount

1-19     reasonably necessary to cover the administrative costs associated

1-20     with the authority's release of information to the person [under

1-21     this subsection].

1-22           (e)  In this section, "Internet" means the largest

1-23     nonproprietary nonprofit cooperative public computer network,

1-24     popularly known as the Internet.

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

 2-2           SECTION 3.  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.