BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 2224
81R11582 JSC-F By: West
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
An inconsistency in Texas statutes regarding the juvenile criminal history records system protects some records of serious offenses committed by juveniles, but allows the records of less serious infractions to be disclosed.
As proposed, S.B. 2224 amends current law relating to the protection of records of children convicted of certain offenses punishable by fine only.
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 411.081, Government Code, by adding Subsection (f-1), as follows:
(f-1) Defines "child." Requires a convicting court, notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, on conviction of a child for a misdemeanor offense punishable by fine only that does not constitute conduct indicating a need for supervision under Section 51.03 (Delinquent Conduct; Conduct Indicating a Need For Supervision), Family Code, to immediately issue an order prohibiting criminal justice agencies from disclosing to the public criminal history record information related to the offense. Authorizes a criminal justice agency to disclose criminal history record information that is the subject of the order only to other criminal justice agencies for criminal justice or regulatory licensing purposes, to an agency or entity listed in Subsection (i) (relating to the authorization of a criminal justice agency to disclose certain criminal history record information), or to the person who is the subject of the order.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 411.0851(a), Government Code, to require a private entity that compiles and disseminates for compensation criminal history record information to destroy, and prohibits it from disseminating, any information in the possession of the entity with respect to which the entity has received notice that an order of nondisclosure has been issued under Section 411.081(d) (relating to authorization to petition the court for deferred adjudication for an order of nondisclosure) or (f-1).
SECTION 3. Amends the heading to Section 552.142, Government Code, to read as follows:
Sec. 552.142. EXCEPTION: RECORDS OF CERTAIN DEFERRED ADJUDICATIONS AND CERTAIN MISDEMEANORS PUNISHABLE BY FINE ONLY.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 552.142(a), Government Code, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 552.1425(a), Government Code, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 6. Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies to a conviction that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the offense was committed before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 7. Authorizes a child, as that term is defined by Section 51.02 (Definitions), Family Code, who is convicted of a misdemeanor offense punishable by fine only that does not constitute conduct indicating a need for supervision under Section 51.03, Family Code, before the effective date of this Act, notwithstanding Section 6 of this Act, to petition the court for an order of nondisclosure, and requires the court to issue the order under Section 411.081(f-1), Government Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 8. Effective date: September 1, 2009.