By:  Thompson                                                     H.B. No. 3430


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to law enforcement policies on racial profiling in certain counties. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter Two, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding a new Articles 2.132A through 2.138A to read as follows: Article 2.132A. RACIAL PROFILING IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) Articles 2.132A, 2.133A, 2.134A, 2.135A, 2.136A, 2.137A, and 2.138A apply to all law enforcement agencies in counties which have any geographic portions of a municipality with a population of 1.9 million or more. (b) Each law enforcement agency in the counties in which this article applies shall adopt a detailed written policy on racial profiling. The policy must: (1) clearly define acts constituting racial profiling; (2) strictly prohibit peace officers employed by the agency from engaging in racial profiling; (3) implement a process by which an individual may file a complaint with the agency if the individual believes that a peace officer employed by the agency has engaged in racial profiling with respect to the individual; (4) provide public education relating to the agency's complaint process; (5) require appropriate corrective action to be taken against a peace officer employed by the agency who, after an investigation, is shown to have engaged in racial profiling in violation of the agency's policy adopted under this article; (6) require collection of information relating to traffic stops and to arrests resulting from those traffic stops, including information relating to: (A) the race or ethnicity of the individual detained; (B) whether a search was conducted; and (C) if a search was conducted, was it conducted by consent, incidental to a lawful arrest and inventory, or other reason; and (7) require the agency, not later than March 1 of each year, to submit-to the governing body of each county or municipality served by the agency and to the Department of Public Safety, in the form prescribed by the department, an annual report of the information collected under Subdivision (6) if the agency is an agency of a county, municipality or ether. political subdivision of the state. The report must be sent to the Department of Public Safety in a standardized format as developed by the Department of Public Safety. (c) The data collected as a result of the reporting requirements of this article shall not constitute prima facie evidence of racial profiling. (d) On adoption of a policy under Subsection (b), a law enforcement agency shall examine the feasibility of installing video camera and transmitter-activated equipment in each agency law enforcement motor vehicle regularly used to make traffic stops and transmitter-activated equipment in each agency law enforcement motorcycle regularly used to make traffic stops. If a policy adopted by the agency under Subsection (b) must include standards for reviewing video and audio documentation. If an agency installs video or audio equipment as provided in this subsection, the policy adopted by the agency under Subsection (b) shall mandate that the agency shall retain the video and audio or audio documentation of each traffic and pedestrian stop for at least 90 days after the date of the stop. (e) If a complaint is filed with the law enforcement agency alleging that a peace officer employed by the agency has engaged in racial profiling with respect to a traffic or pedestrian stop, the agency shall retain the video and audio or audio record of the stop until final disposition of the complaint. In addition, investigators of any complaint or a legal representative of the complainant may order the retention of any or all other video and audio or audio records of stops made by the officer complained against during the previous 90 days until final disposition of the original complaint. (f) A report required under Subsection (b)(7) may not include identifying information about a peace officer who makes a traffic stop or about an individual who is stopped or arrested by a peace officer. This subsection does not affect the collection of information as required by a policy under Subsection (b)(6). (g) On the commencement of an investigation by a law enforcement agency of a complaint described by Subsection (b)(3) in which a video or audio recording of the occurrence on which the complaint is based was made, the agency shall promptly provide a copy of the recording to the peace officer who is the subject of the complaint on written request by the officer. SECTION 2. Article 2.133, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows: Art. 2.133. REPORTS REQUIRED FOR TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN STOPS. (a) In this article: (1) "Race or ethnicity" and has the meaning assigned by Article 2.132(a). (2) "Traffic stop" means the stopping of a motor vehicle by a peace officer for a possible violation of the law. (b) A peace officer who conducts a traffic stop shall report to the law enforcement agency that employs the officer information relating to the stop. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2006.