SRC-DPW S.B. 634 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 634 76R6709 GWK-FBy: Madla Criminal Justice 4/6/1999 As Filed DIGEST Currently, Texas law does not require Texas law enforcement agencies to report crime statistics to either the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and there are no uniform reporting and accounting standards or required audits by DPS or the FBI to verify the accuracy of crime statistics. This bill would require law enforcement agencies to report crime statistics to DPS, follow uniform reporting and accounting standards issued by DPS, and submit to periodic audits by DPS. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 634 provides procedures for reporting criminal justice records to governmental bodies. 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 Chapter 411D, Government Code, by adding Section 411.048, as follows: Sec. 411.048. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REPORT AUDITS. Defines "criminal justice record." Provides that a governmental body must have criminal justice records audited by a certified public accountant prior to reporting records to the Texas Department of Public Safety or the United States Department of Justice. Requires the public safety director to prescribe uniform procedures for governmental bodies to use for preparing reports made under Subsection (b) that must comply with principles established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or their successors. Provides that an audit report prepared under Subsection (b) is public information. SECTION 2. Requires the Texas Department of Public Safety to prescribe uniform reporting procedures no later than October 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective July 1, 2000. SECTION 3.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.