By Allen H.B. No. 354
77R2551 ATP-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to public access to information about fugitives from
1-3 justice.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 411.135(a) and (b), Government Code, are
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) Any person is entitled to obtain from the department:
1-8 (1) any information described as public information
1-9 under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, [as added by Chapter
1-10 668, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997,]
1-11 including, to the extent available, a recent photograph of each
1-12 person subject to registration under that chapter; [and]
1-13 (2) criminal history record information maintained by
1-14 the department that relates to the conviction of or a grant of
1-15 deferred adjudication to a person for any criminal offense,
1-16 including arrest information that relates to the conviction or
1-17 grant of deferred adjudication; and
1-18 (3) information maintained by the department relating
1-19 to each fugitive from justice for whom an arrest warrant for a
1-20 felony has been issued, other than information the department
1-21 determines would hinder the apprehension or prosecution of the
1-22 fugitive.
1-23 (b) The department by rule shall design and implement a
1-24 system to respond to electronic inquiries and other inquiries for
2-1 information described by Subsection (a). The department shall make
2-2 the information relating to fugitives from justice available to
2-3 the public without cost in an online computer database format.
2-4 SECTION 2. The Department of Public Safety shall make
2-5 available information relating to fugitives from justice, as
2-6 required by Section 411.135(a), Government Code, as amended by this
2-7 Act, not later than January 1, 2002.
2-8 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-9 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-10 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
2-11 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-12 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.