S.B. 52 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


S.B. 52
By: Zaffirini
Law Enforcement
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Senate Bill 52 requires law enforcement agencies to report certain
information about certain sexual offenses to the Texas Department of
Public Safety so that the department can perform a statistical breakdown
of offenses.  


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Public
Safety of the State of Texas in SECTION 1 (Section 411.042, Government
Code) and SECTION 2 of this bill.  


ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 52 amends Section 411.042, Government Code, to require the
bureau of identification and records to collect information that enables
the bureau to create a statistical breakdown of sexual assault offenses
under Sections 22.011 and 22.021 of the Penal Code.  The bill requires
that this information include an indication of the specific offense
committed and information regarding the victim, the offender and the
offender's relationship to the victim, any weapons used or exhibited in
the commission of the offense, any controlled substances used to
facilitate the commission of the offense, any injuries sustained by the
victim, and whether a forensic medical examination was performed.  The
bill authorizes the Department of Public Safety(DPS) to adopt reasonable
rules relating to the collection of this information and requires that
rules and procedures necessary to comply with this Act be adopted by
October 1, 2003.  Finally, S.B. 52 requires a local law enforcement agency
to report to DPS offenses under Section 22.011 or 22.021 of the Penal
Code, including all information regarding the offense required by the
bill, in the form and manner and at regular intervals as prescribed by
rules adopted by the department. 



EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.