BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 379
81R22494 GCB-D By: Carona
Transportation & Homeland Security
Committee Report (Substituted)
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.
C.S.S.B. 379 requires the Texas Fusion Center to annually submit to the governor and the legislature a report regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related crime. The bill sets forth the information required to be included in the report.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 421.082, Government Code, by adding Subsections (e)-(g), as follows:
(e) Requires the Texas Fusion Center (center) to annually submit to the
governor and the legislature a report regarding criminal street gangs and
gang-related crime. Sets forth the information required to be included in the
report.
(f) Requires a criminal justice or juvenile justice agency of this state, on request, to provide to the center information relating to criminal street gangs and gang-related crime.
(g) Prohibits the report required under Subsection (e) from containing any information that is considered sensitive intelligence information by the agency that provided the information, or could jeopardize an ongoing investigation being conducted by the agency that provided the information.
SECTION 2. Requires the center to submit the first annual report regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related crime 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.