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78R1792 KEL-D

By:  Shapiro                                                      S.B. No. 166


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to sex offender registration requirements imposed on certain higher education workers or students and to immunity for release of public information obtained as a result of those requirements. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Article 62.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding Subdivisions (8) and (9) to read as follows: (8) "Public or private institution of higher education" includes a college, university, community college, or technical or trade institute. (9) "Authority for campus security" means the authority with primary law enforcement jurisdiction over property under the control of a public or private institution of higher education, other than a local law enforcement authority. SECTION 2. Article 62.011(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows: (b) A person is a student for purposes of this chapter if the person enrolls in any educational facility, including: (1) a public or private primary or secondary school, including a high school or alternative learning center; or (2) a public or private institution of higher education[, including a college, university, community college, or technical or trade institute]. SECTION 3. Articles 62.02(b) and (g), Code of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows: (b) The department shall provide the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Youth Commission, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, and each local law enforcement authority, authority for campus security, county jail, and court with a form for registering persons required by this chapter to register. The registration form shall require: (1) the person's full name, each alias, date of birth, sex, race, height, weight, eye color, hair color, social security number, driver's license number, shoe size, and home address; (2) a recent color photograph or, if possible, an electronic digital image of the person and a complete set of the person's fingerprints; (3) the type of offense the person was convicted of, the age of the victim, the date of conviction, and the punishment received; (4) an indication as to whether the person is discharged, paroled, or released on juvenile probation, community supervision, or mandatory supervision; (5) an indication of each license, as defined by Article 62.08(f), that is held or sought by the person; (6) an indication as to whether the person is or will be employed, carrying on a vocation, or a student at a particular public or private institution of higher education in this state or another state, and the name and address of that institution; and (7) [(6)] any other information required by the department. (g) If the other state has a registration requirement for sex offenders, a person who has a reportable conviction or adjudication, who resides in this state, and who is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student in another state shall, not later than the 10th day after the date on which the person begins to work or attend school in the other state, register with the law enforcement authority that is identified by the department as the authority designated by that state to receive registration information. If the person is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student at a public or private institution of higher education in the other state and if an authority for campus security exists at the institution, the person shall also register with that authority not later than the 10th day after the date on which the person begins to work or attend school. SECTION 4. Articles 62.03(a) and (h), Code of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows: (a) Before a person who will be subject to registration under this chapter is due to be released from a penal institution, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or the Texas Youth Commission shall determine the person's level of risk to the community using the sex offender screening tool developed or selected under Article 62.035 and assign to the person a numeric risk level of one, two, or three. Before releasing the person, an official of the penal institution shall: (1) inform the person that: (A) not later than the seventh day after the date on which the person is released or the date on which the person moves from a previous residence to a new residence in this state, the person must: (i) register or verify registration with the local law enforcement authority in the municipality or county in which the person intends to reside; or (ii) if the person has not moved to an intended residence, report to the juvenile probation officer, community supervision and corrections department officer, or parole officer supervising the person; (B) not later than the seventh day before the date on which the person moves to a new residence in this state or another state, the person must report in person to the local law enforcement authority with whom the person last registered and to the juvenile probation officer, community supervision and corrections department officer, or parole officer supervising the person; (C) not later than the 10th day after the date on which the person arrives in another state in which the person intends to reside, the person must register with the law enforcement agency that is identified by the department as the agency designated by that state to receive registration information, if the other state has a registration requirement for sex offenders; and (D) not later than the 30th day after the date on which the person is released, the person must apply to the department in person for the issuance of an original or renewal driver's license or personal identification certificate and a failure to apply to the department as required by this paragraph results in the automatic revocation of any driver's license or personal identification certificate issued by the department to the person; (2) require the person to sign a written statement that the person was informed of the person's duties as described by Subdivision (1) or Subsection (h) or, if the person refuses to sign the statement, certify that the person was so informed; (3) obtain the address where the person expects to reside on the person's release and other registration information, including a photograph and complete set of fingerprints; and (4) complete the registration form for the person. (h) Before a person who will be subject to registration under this chapter is due to be released from a penal institution in this state, an official of the penal institution shall inform the person that: (1) if the person intends to reside in another state and to work or attend school in this state, the person must, not later than the seventh day after the date on which the person begins to work or attend school, register or verify registration with the local law enforcement authority in the municipality or county in which the person intends to work or attend school; [and] (2) if the person intends to reside in this state and to work or attend school in another state and if the other state has a registration requirement for sex offenders, the person must: (A) [,] not later than the 10th day after the date on which the person begins to work or attend school in the other state, register with the law enforcement authority that is identified by the department as the authority designated by that state to receive registration information; and (B) if the person intends to be employed, carry on a vocation, or be a student at a public or private institution of higher education in the other state and if an authority for campus security exists at the institution, register with that authority not later than the 10th day after the date on which the person begins to work or attend school; and (3) regardless of the state in which the person intends to reside, if the person intends to be employed, carry on a vocation, or be a student at a public or private institution of higher education in this state, the person must, not later than the seventh day after the date on which the person begins to work or attend school, register with: (A) the authority for campus security for that institution; or (B) except as provided by Article 62.063(d), if an authority for campus security for that institution does not exist, the local law enforcement authority of: (i) the municipality in which the institution is located; or (ii) the county in which the institution is located, if the institution is not located in a municipality. SECTION 5. Article 62.05, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows: Art. 62.05. STATUS REPORT BY SUPERVISING OFFICER OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. (a) If the juvenile probation officer, community supervision and corrections department officer, or parole officer supervising a person subject to registration under this chapter receives information to the effect that the person's status has changed in any manner that affects proper supervision of the person, including a change in the person's physical health, job or educational status, incarceration, or terms of release, the supervising officer shall promptly notify the appropriate local law enforcement authority or authorities of that change. If the person required to register intends to change address, the [person's] supervising officer shall notify the local law enforcement authorities designated by Article 62.04(b). If as a result of a change in the person's job or educational status the person becomes employed, begins to carry on a vocation, or becomes a student at a particular public or private institution of higher education, the supervising officer shall notify the department of that change. (b) Not later than the seventh day after the date of the change, a [A] person subject to registration under this chapter shall report to the local law enforcement authority any change in the person's physical health or job or educational status [not later than the seventh day after the date of the change]. For purposes of this subsection, a person's job status changes if the person leaves employment for any reason, remains employed by an employer but changes the location at which the person works, or begins employment with a new employer. For purposes of this subsection, a person's health status changes if the person is hospitalized as a result of an illness. For purposes of this subsection, a change in a person's educational status includes the person's transfer from one educational facility to another. If as a result of a change in the person's job or educational status the person becomes employed, begins to carry on a vocation, or becomes a student at a particular public or private institution of higher education, the local law enforcement authority shall notify the department of that change. SECTION 6. Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding Article 62.063 to read as follows: Art. 62.063. REGISTRATION OF WORKERS OR STUDENTS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) Not later than the seventh day after the date on which the person begins to work or attend school, a person required to register under Article 62.061, as added by Chapters 1193 and 1415, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, or any other provision of this chapter who is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student at a public or private institution of higher education in this state shall report that fact to: (1) the authority for campus security for that institution; or (2) if an authority for campus security for that institution does not exist, the local law enforcement authority of: (A) the municipality in which the institution is located; or (B) the county in which the institution is located, if the institution is not located in a municipality. (b) A person described by Subsection (a) shall provide the authority for campus security or the local law enforcement authority with all information the person is required to provide under Article 62.02(b). The authority for campus security or the local law enforcement authority shall promptly forward that information to the administrative office of the institution. (c) A person described by Subsection (a) shall notify the authority for campus security or the local law enforcement authority not later than the seventh day after the date of termination of the person's status as a worker or student at the institution. The authority for campus security or the local law enforcement authority shall promptly forward that information to the administrative office of the institution. (d) Subsection (a)(2) does not require a person to register at a local law enforcement authority if the person is otherwise required by this chapter to register at that authority. (e) This article does not impose the requirements of public notification or notification to public or private primary or secondary schools on: (1) an authority for campus security; or (2) a local law enforcement authority, if those requirements relate to a person about whom the authority is not otherwise required by this chapter to make notifications. (f) Notwithstanding Article 62.062, the requirements of this article supersede those of Article 62.062 for a person required to register under both this article and Article 62.062. SECTION 7. Article 62.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (h) and (i) to read as follows: (b) The information contained in the database is public information, with the exception of any information: (1) regarding the person's social security number, driver's license number, or telephone number; (2) that is required by the department under Article 62.02(b)(7) [62.02(b)(6)]; or (3) that would identify the victim of the offense for which the person is subject to registration. (h) The department shall provide a public or private institution of higher education in this state or another state with notice of any person required to register under this chapter who is or will be employed, carrying on a vocation, or a student at the institution. Not later than the third day after the date on which the applicable information becomes available through the person's registration or verification of registration or under Article 62.05, the department shall send the notice required by this subsection to the administrative office of the institution and: (1) for an institution in this state: (A) the authority for campus security for that institution; or (B) if an authority for campus security for that institution does not exist, the local law enforcement authority of: (i) the municipality in which the institution is located; or (ii) the county in which the institution is located, if the institution is not located in a municipality; or (2) for an institution in another state, any existing authority for campus security at that institution. (i) On the written request of an institution of higher education described by Subsection (h) that identifies an individual and states that the individual has applied to work or study at the institution, the department shall release any information described by Subsection (a) to the institution. SECTION 8. Articles 62.09(a) and (d), Code of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows: (a) The department, a penal institution, [or] a local law enforcement authority, or an authority for campus security may release to the public information regarding a person required to register if the information is public information under this chapter. (d) A private primary or secondary school, public or private institution of higher education, or administrator of a private primary or secondary school or public or private institution of higher education may release to the public information regarding a person required to register if the information is public information under this chapter and is released to the administrator under Article 62.03, [or] 62.04, 62.063, or 62.08. A private primary or secondary school, public or private institution of higher education, or administrator of a private primary or secondary school or public or private institution of higher education is not liable under any law for damages arising from conduct authorized by this subsection. SECTION 9. (a) The Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas shall establish the procedures required by Articles 62.08(h) and (i), Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act, not later than October 1, 2003. (b) The change in law made by this Act applies to a person subject to registration under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, for an offense or conduct that was committed before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.