BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Crime prevention advocates say that no correlation exists between grants awarded by the Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority (ABTPA) and the rate of automobile burglary or theft in the state. In addition, advocates say, grantees determine their own goals and assess their progress in meeting the goals through self-reporting. This bill seeks to remedy this situation by addressing statutory provisions relating to performance measures for grants, allocations of grants, and certain other related matters.
H.B. 1541 would require ABTPA to develop and implement standard performance measures for each category of grants it provides, as well as ensure that grants are used to reduce the rates of automobile theft in Texas, increase the number of arrests for motor vehicle burglary and theft, and increase the recovery rate of stolen motor vehicles. The bill requires ABTPA to allocate grant funds primarily based on the number of motor vehicles stolen in, or the motor vehicle burglary or theft rate across, Texas rather than based on geographic distribution. The bill also authorizes the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) to administer the existing statewide motor vehicle registration program developed by ABTPA and requires DPS to collect data regarding theft rates and types of motor vehicles enrolled in the statewide motor vehicle registration program, the recovery rate for stolen motor vehicles enrolled in the program, and the clearance rate of burglaries and thefts of motor vehicles enrolled in the program.
H.B. 1541 amends current law relating to the prevention of automobile burglary and theft.
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 6, Article 4413(37), Revised Statutes, by adding Subsections (j) and (k), as follows:
(j) Requires the Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority (ABTPA) to develop and use standard performance measures for each category of grants provided by ABTPA in order to assess grantee success in achieving the purposes of this article; and ensure that grants are used to help increase the recovery rate of stolen motor vehicles, the clearance rate of motor vehicle burglaries and thefts, and the number of persons arrested for motor vehicle burglary and theft.
(k) Requires ABTPA to allocate grant funds primarily based on the number of motor vehicles stolen in, or the motor vehicle burglary or theft rate across, the state rather than based on geographic distribution.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 7(a), Article 4413(37), Revised Statutes, to require that the plan of operation be updated biennially and filed with the legislature on or before December 1 of each even-numbered year.
SECTION 3. Amends Section 9(a), Article 4413(37), Revised Statutes, as follows:
(a) Authorizes the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) to administer a statewide motor vehicle registration program, rather than requiring ABTPA to develop a statewide motor vehicle registration program to be administered by DPS. Provides that this section applies only if DPS administers the program.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 9, Article 4413(37), Revised Statutes, by adding Subsection (h) to require DPS to collect data regarding theft rates and types of motor vehicles enrolled in the program, the recovery rate for stolen motor vehicles enrolled in the program, and the clearance rate of burglaries and thefts of motor vehicles enrolled in the program.
SECTION 5. Provides that Sections 6(j) and (k), Article 4413(37), Revised Statutes, as added by this Act, apply only in relation to a grant for which the notice of funds availability or of funding opportunity is made public on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2011.