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.