BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 559
81R7991 JD-D By: Hernandez, Pena (Gallegos)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law allows voter registration records, appraisal records, and other county records to be confidential if they contain the address information of certain groups of individuals whose personal safety could be jeopardized if their home addresses became easily available as a public record. The law protects peace officers, county jailers, employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, commissioned security officers, and certain victims of family violence. H.B. 41, enacted by the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, extended such protections to county and federal judges as well as state legislators within Texas. The bill extends some of these protections to justices of the peace.
H.B. 559 amends current law relating to the nondisclosure of certain personal information in voter registration records, concealed handgun license records, and tax appraisal records that relates to a justice of the peace.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 13.0021(a)(2), Election Code, to redefine "state judge." Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 411.171(4-b), Government Code, to redefine "state judge." Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 3. Reenacts Section 25.025(a), Tax Code, as amended by Chapters 594 (H.B. 41), 621 (H.B. 455), and 851 (H.B. 1141), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, and amends it to create Subdivisions (7) and (8) from existing text. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 25.025(a-1)(2), Tax Code, to redefine "state judge." Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 5. Provides that to the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over another Act of the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009, relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.
SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2009.