BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 530

By: Shelton

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law defines the chief of police of a municipality or sheriff of a county as the "local law enforcement authority" in handling matters relating to the registration and tracking of sex offenders in the respective municipality or county.  An expanded definition that includes the office of the chief of police and the office of the sheriff could ease an unnecessary burden on these officials, who frequently experience a heavy caseload, by allowing experienced staff in those offices to register, publicize, record, and enforce rules pertaining to sex offenders residing in the respective jurisdiction.  This would save time and resources spent on processing the high volume of paperwork involved in the registration and tracking of sex offenders.

H.B. 530 will increase productivity in the offices of police chiefs and sheriffs, reduce the workload of police chiefs and sheriffs, and improve the efficiency of the sex offender registration and monitoring process and this improvement will help protect the community. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 530 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to clarify that "local law enforcement authority," for purposes of provisions relating to the sex offender registration program, means the office of the chief of police of a municipality or the office of the sheriff of a county in Texas, rather than only that chief of police or sheriff, respectively.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.