HBA-NIK S.B. 1576 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1576
By: West
Corrections
4/26/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, local law enforcement agencies report an increase in prison gang
related violence in many of Texas' major cities.  One means of addressing
that increase is through better collaboration between the institutional
division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (institutional
division), parole division, and local and state law enforcement to more
effectively monitor the activities of members of prison gangs or security
threat groups once released into society. S.B. 1576 requires the
institutional division to notify a sheriff or chief of police of the date
of release of an inmate classified as a member of a security threat group.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 499, Government Code, by adding
Section 499.051, as follows: 

Sec. 499.051. NOTIFICATION OF RELEASE OF GANG MEMBER. (a) Requires the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (department) to notify, on the release
of an inmate determined by the department to be a member of a security
threat group, the sheriff of the county to which the inmate is released
and, if the inmate is released to a municipality, the chief of police for
the municipality.  Provides that the notice must state the date on which
the inmate was released and state that the inmate has been determined by
the department to be a member of a security threat group. 

(b) Requires the department to include the information described by
Subsection (a) with the notice provided under Section 508.115 (Notification
of Release of Inmate), if the department is required by Section 508.115 to
notify a sheriff before the release of an inmate. 

SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective, beginning September
15, 1999. 

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.