By Truan                                        S.B. No. 1515

      75R8609 JRD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to coordinating and directing the modernization of state

 1-3     and local law enforcement agencies' telecommunications and

 1-4     automated information systems.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 411, Government Code, is

 1-7     amended by adding Section 411.048 to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 411.048.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND

 1-9     AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEMS.  (a) The department shall direct and

1-10     coordinate the modernization and enhancement of state and local law

1-11     enforcement agencies' telecommunications systems.  The department

1-12     shall also direct and coordinate the modernization and enhancement

1-13     of state and local law enforcement agencies' automated information

1-14     systems and practices to the extent necessary to ensure that as the

1-15     agencies change their systems and practices over time, the changes

1-16     that affect the entry and retrieval of information are compatible

1-17     with the need to quickly share accurate information with other law

1-18     enforcement agencies.

1-19           (b)  The Department of Information Resources, the Texas

1-20     Department of Transportation, and other state agencies on request

1-21     shall assist the department in performing its duties under this

1-22     section.

1-23           (c)  The department shall appoint an advisory committee to

1-24     assist it in performing its duties under this section. The advisory

 2-1     committee must include representatives of state law enforcement

 2-2     agencies and of small and large local law enforcement agencies in

 2-3     each geographic region of the state. At least one member of the

 2-4     advisory committee must be employed by a police department of a

 2-5     municipality with a population of less than 50,000; at least one

 2-6     member must be employed by a police department of a municipality

 2-7     with a population of 50,000 to 200,000; and at least one member

 2-8     must be employed by a police department of a municipality with a

 2-9     population of more than 200,000. Article 6252-33, Revised Statutes,

2-10     does not apply to the size or composition of the advisory

2-11     committee.

2-12           (d)  As part of its coordination duties under this section,

2-13     the department shall maintain a home page on the Internet that

2-14     includes information about current and completed statewide and

2-15     local activities related to the modernization and enhancement of

2-16     state and local law enforcement agencies' telecommunications and

2-17     automated information systems and that includes the name and

2-18     telephone number of a department employee whom state and local law

2-19     enforcement agencies may contact in relation to the department's

2-20     duties under this section. In this subsection, "Internet" means the

2-21     largest nonproprietary, nonprofit cooperative public computer

2-22     network, popularly known as the Internet.

2-23           SECTION 2.  The Department of Public Safety shall invite each

2-24     member of the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System

2-25     Steering Committee to serve among the initial members of the

2-26     advisory committee appointed under Section 411.048(c), Government

2-27     Code, as added by this Act.  A member of the steering committee

 3-1     may, when appropriate, be considered to satisfy a requirement

 3-2     prescribed by Section 411.048(c) concerning the composition of the

 3-3     advisory committee.

 3-4           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-10     passage, and it is so enacted.