By: Carona S.B. No. 379

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an annual report by the Texas Fusion Center regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related crime.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 421.082, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to read as follows:

(e) The center shall annually submit to the governor and the legislature a report regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related crime. The report must include:

(1) an evaluation of the threat that criminal street gangs and gang-related crime pose to communities in this state that are at or near the international border between this state and the United Mexican States;

(2) an evaluation of the threat that criminal street gangs and gang-related crime occurring at or near the border pose to other areas of this state;

(3) identification of any law enforcement strategies in this state or another jurisdiction that have been effective in preventing the growth or proliferation of criminal street gangs or gang-related crime; and

(4) recommendations on actions that may be taken to:

(A) prevent criminal street gangs from committing human trafficking offenses;

(B) reduce criminal street gang violence throughout this state, with specific recommendations concerning reduction of criminal street gang violence at or near the border;

(C) prevent the growth or proliferation of criminal street gangs throughout this state, with specific recommendations concerning prevention of the growth or proliferation of criminal street gangs at or near the border; and

(D) ensure that law enforcement personnel receive the necessary training and education to effectively deal with the problems created by criminal street gangs and gang-related crime.

(f) On request, a criminal justice or juvenile justice agency of this state shall provide to the center information relating to criminal street gangs and gang-related crime.

(g) The report required under Subsection (e) may not contain any information that:

(1) is considered sensitive intelligence information by the agency that provided the information; or

(2) could jeopardize an ongoing investigation being conducted by the agency that provided the information.

SECTION 2. The Texas Fusion Center shall submit the first annual report regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related crime to the governor and the legislature as required by Subsection (e), Section 421.082, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2010.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.