BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 379

                                                                                                                                          By: Carona

                                                                                                 Transportation & Homeland Security

                                                                                                                                              8/4/2009

                                                                                                                                              Enrolled

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Over the past two years, the border between Texas and Mexico has become an increasingly violent and dangerous place due mainly to Mexican drug cartels that have become more powerful and brazen.  These Mexican cartels use existing street gangs in Texas to extend their reach into the United States and sell narcotics.

 

S.B. 379 amends current law relating to the duties of the Texas Fusion Center (center), including an annual report by the center regarding criminal street gangs.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 421.082, Government Code, by adding Subsections (e)-(g), as follows:

(e)  Requires the gang section of the Texas Fusion Center (center) to annually submit to the governor and the legislature a report assessing the threat posed statewide by criminal street gangs.  Requires that the report include identification of law enforcement strategies that have been proven effective in deterring gang-related crime and gang involvement in trafficking of persons.

 

(f)  Requires the office of the attorney general, the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, other law enforcement agencies, and juvenile justice agencies of this state, on request, to provide to the gang section of the center information relating to criminal street gangs, gang-related crime, and gang involvement in trafficking of persons.

 

(g)  Provides that any information received by the center under this section that is stored, combined with other information, analyzed, or disseminated is subject to the rules governing criminal intelligence in 28 C.F.R. Part 23.

 

SECTION 2.  Requires the gang section of the center to submit the first annual report regarding  criminal street gangs to the governor and the legislature as required by Section 421.082(e), Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2010.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.