BILL ANALYSIS
By: Farabee
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current law requires that Department of Public Safety (DPS) collect and disseminate information regarding serious threats against a peace officer and notify the officer against whom the threat is made. However, this law does not apply to detention officers employed in municipal county jails, who, because of their close proximity to offenders and the extended nature of their contact with them, are often threatened by those under their supervision.
House Bill 1262 extends the provisions of the threat database system to include information regarding threats made against detention officers employed in municipal or county jails.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
House Bill 1262 amends §411.048, Government Code, by adding the words "detention officer" where necessary to extend the provisions of that section to include them and defines "detention officer" as a person who is employed to ensure the safekeeping of prisoners and the security of a municipal or county jail.
The bill also amends the title to §552.108 of the Government Code and provides that information regarding certain threats directed toward detention officers is protected from release under the Public Information Act.
EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.