SRC-ARR H.B. 2145 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2145
By: McClendon (Whitmire)
Criminal Justice
5/12/1999
Engrossed


DIGEST 

Currently, information about the 15,000 registered sex offenders in Texas
is available through the police and sheriff's department as well as on the
Internet. This database is made possible through the mandatory sex offender
registration law. The information available electronically includes the
name, age, zip code, and shoe size of the sex offender and is updated at
least twice a week. What is not currently available is the sex offender's
photo, specific street address, telephone number, social security number,
and driver's license number. H.B. 2145 would set forth requirements for
persons subject to sex offender registration requirements and to the
conditions for supervised release of those persons.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 2145 sets forth requirements for person subject to sex
offender registration requirements and the conditions for supervised
release of those persons.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Article 62.01(5), Code of Criminal Procedure, to redefine
"reportable conviction or adjudication." 

SECTION 2. Amends Articles 62.03(a), (d), (e), and (f), Code of Criminal
Procedures, to requires an official under this chapter of the penal
institution to take certain actions. Requires the Texas Youth Commission
(commission), vendor, or probation department to conduct the prerelease
notification and registration requirements specified in this article on the
date the person is placed under the supervision of commission, vendor or
probation department. Requires the superintendent of the school district to
release the information contained in the notice to appropriate school
district personnel, including peace officers and security personnel,
principals, nurses, and counselors. Requires the law enforcement authority
to include in the notice by publication in a newspaper certain information.

SECTION 3. Amends Articles 62.04(f) and (g), Code of Criminal Procedure, to
make conforming changes.  

SECTION 4. Amends Articles 62.06(a) and (b), Code, of Criminal Procedure,
to require a person subject to registration under this chapter who has for
a sexually violent offense been convicted two or more times, received an
order of deferred adjudication two or more times, or been convicted and
received an order of deferred adjudication, rather than for a sexually
violent offenses, to report to certain authorities. Requires a person
subject to registration under this chapter who is not subject to the 90-day
reporting requirement described by this section to report to the local law
enforcement authority with whom the person is required to register once
each year not earlier than the 30th day before and not later than the 30th
day after the anniversary of the person's date of birth, rather than on
which the person first registered under this chapter, to verify the
information in the registration form maintained by the authority for that
person. Authorizes the authority to direct the person to report under this
subsection once in each 90-period following the date the person first
registered  under this chapter, if the person is required to report not
less than once in each 90-day period under Subsection (a) or once in each
year not earlier than the 30th day before and not later than the 30th day
after the anniversary of the person's date of birth, it the person is
required to report once each year under Subsection (a).  

SECTION 5. Amends Article 62.08(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, to delete
text regarding the person's photograph and numeric street address.  

SECTION  6. Amends Section 58.007(a), Family Code, to provide that this
section does not apply to a record or file relating to a child that is
subject to disclosure under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, an
added by Chapter 668, acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997.  

SECTION 7. Amends Section 411.135(a), Government Code, to provide that any
person is entitled to obtain from the Texas Department of Public Safety
(department) certain information.  

SECTION 8. Amends Section 11(a), Chapter 668, Acts of the 75th Legislature,
1997, to provide that the change in law made by this Act to Article 62.11,
Code of Criminal Procedure, applies only to the a certain defendant on or
after September 1, 1997 who is under the supervision and control of the
commission.  

SECTION 9. Amends Chapter 42, Code of Criminal Procedure, by adding Article
42.016, as follow: 

Art. 42.016. SPECIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR
CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS.  Sets forth special driver's license or
identification requirements for certain sex offenders.  

SECTION 10. Amends Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, by adding
Articles 62.065 and 62.085 as follows:  

Art. 62.065. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO DRIVER'S LICENSE OR PERSONAL
IDENTIFICATION CERTIFICATE. Sets forth requirements relating to a driver's
license or personal identification certificate.  

Art. 62.085. INFORMATION PROVIDED TO PEACE OFFICER. Requires the department
to establish a procedure by which a peace officer or employee of a law
enforcement agency who provides the department with a driver's license,
personal identification certificate, or license plate number is
automatically provided information as to whether the person to whom the
driver's license or personal identification certificate is issued is
required to register under this chapter or whether the license plate number
is entered in the computerized central database under Article 62.08 as
assigned to a vehicle owned or driven by person required to register under
this chapter. 

SECTION 11. Amends Chapter 521C, Transportation Code, by adding Section
521.057, as follows:  

Sec. 521.057. INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS. Requires the
department to ensure that any driver's license record or personal
identification certificate record maintained by  the department for the
person includes an indication that the person is subject to the
registration requirements of Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, on
receipt of a court order issued under Article 42.016, Code of Criminal
Procedure. Requires the department to include the indication required by
Subsection (a) in any driver's license record or personal identification
certificate record maintained by the department for the person until the
expiration of the person's duty to register under Chapter 62, Code of
Criminal Procedure.  

SECTION 12. Amends Section 521.101, Transportation Code, by adding
Subsections (h) and (i), to require the department to automatically revoke
each personal identification certificate issued by the department to a
certain person. Authorizes the department to issue a personal
identification certificate to a person whose certificate is revoked under
Subsection (h) only if the person applies for an original or renewal
certificate under Section 521.103. 
 
SECTION 13. Amends Section 521E, Transportation Code, by adding Section
521.103, as follows: 

Sec. 521.103. EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS.
Sets forth certain expiration and renewal requirements for certain sex
offenders.   

SECTION 14. Amends Chapter 521M, Transportation Code, by adding Section
521.272, as follows: 

Sec. 521.272. RENEWAL OF LICENSE ISSUED TO CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS. Sets
forth requirements for the renewal of a driver's license issued to certain
sex offenders.  

SECTION 15. Amends Section 521.274(b), Transportation Code, to prohibit a
rule under this subsection from permitting renewal by mail of  a driver's
license if the license holder's driver's license record or personal
identification certificate record indicates that the holder is subject to
the registration requirements of Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure. 

SECTION 16. Amends Section 521O, Transportation Code, by adding Section
521.348, as follows: 

Sec. 521.348. AUTOMATIC REVOCATION FOR CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS. Provides that
a driver's license is automatically revoked if the holder of the license
takes certain action. Authorizes the department to issue a driver's license
to a person whose license is revoked under this section if the person takes
certain actions.   

SECTION 17. Repealer: Article 62.12(c), Code of Criminal Procedure
(regarding a person registered under this chapter registering in a county
where the person resides). 

SECTION 18. Provides that the change in law made by this Act to 62.01(5)
and 62.03(d), Code of Criminal Procedures, applies to juvenile offenders
adjusted as having engaged in delinquent conduct before, on or after the
effective date of this Act, regardless of when the conduct occurred.  

SECTION 19. Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Articles
62.06(a) and (b), Code of  Criminal Procedure, relating to persons required
to the report to local law enforcement not less than once in each 90-day
period, applies only to a defendant who takes certain action on or after
the effective date of this Act.  

SECTION 20. Requires certain law enforcement authorities to inform the
person that the next occasion and each succeeding occasion on which the
person verifies registration, the person must comply with Articles 62.06(a)
and (b), Code of Criminal Procedure, to accomplish the change in law made
by this Act to Articles 62.06 (a) and (b), Code of Criminal Procedure.
Provides that the change in law to which this section applies does not
affect the validity of any action taken by a person to verify registration
before the person is provided an opportunity to verify registration before
the person is provided an opportunity to be informed of the change in law
made by this Act as required by this section.  

SECTION 21. Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Section
58.007, Family Code, applies only to records and files created or
maintained under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, on or after
September 1, 1995 

SECTION 22. Provides that SECTIONS 9-16, adding Articles 42.016, 62.065,
and 62.085, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Sections 521.057, 521.101(h)
and (i), 521.103, 521.272, Government Code, and amending Section
521.274(b), Transportation Code, and that part of SECTION 2 amending
Section 62.03(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, takes effect September 1,
2000. Provides that the change in law made by this Act relating to
requiring the department to include in the driver's license record or
personal identification certificate record of certain persons an indication
that the person is subject to the sex offender registration requirements of
Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, applies to a person who, with
respect to an offense listed in Article 62.01(5), Code of Criminal
Procedure on or after September 1, 2000, is confined on under certain
supervision. Provides that a person who, on September 1, 2000, is not
described by Subsection (b)(1) or (2) of this section is covered by the law
in effect before September 1, 2000, and the former law is continued in
effect for  that purpose.  

SECTION 23. Requires the department to implement the system described by
Section 411.135, Government Code, as amended by this Act, not later than
January 1, 2000.  

SECTION 24. Provides that except as provided by Section 22 of this Act,
this Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 

SECTION 25. Emergency clause.