Honorable Mark Strama, Chair, House Committee on Technology, Economic Development & Workforce
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB22 by Leibowitz (Relating to restrictions on the use of the Internet by sex offenders and to the collection and exchange of information regarding those offenders. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure to require that the sex offender registration form request information about a sex offender's electronic mail address, instant messaging address, or other Internet communication identifiers and to impose restrictions on the use of the internet by certain adult and juvenile registered sex offenders. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to receive from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) all relevant information regarding any offender who is under internet restrictions. The bill would require that DPS establish procedures by which a commercial networking site or internet service provider may request all internet communication identifiers belonging to a person listed in the sex offender database. In addition, the bill would require that sex offenders provide written notification of any changes to his or her Internet communication identifiers to the local law enforcement authority designated as the person's primary registration authority before the end of the next working day. The bill would take effect September 1, 2009. This analysis assumes that implementing the provisions of the bill would not pose a significant fiscal impact to the state.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. The bill would require courts that grant community supervision to a defendant convicted of or granted deferred adjudication for certain sexual offenses to be prohibited from Internet usage. The Department of Public Safety, Attorney General, and local authorities would be required to establish a uniform procedure for the exchange of information.
Current law requires local law enforcement authorities to notify public and private school administrators of private primary or secondary schools of any information regarding an offender necessary to protect the public; the bill would exclude the person’s home, work, or cellular telephone number.