|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to investigations of certain offenses involving the |
|
Internet-based sexual exploitation of a minor; creating the |
|
Internet crimes against children account to support those |
|
activities. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as Alicia's Law. |
|
SECTION 2. Subtitle B, Title 4, Government Code, is amended |
|
by adding Chapter 422 to read as follows: |
|
CHAPTER 422. INTERNET-BASED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINOR |
|
Sec. 422.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "ICAC task |
|
force" means an Internet Crimes Against Children task force that |
|
is: |
|
(1) located in this state; and |
|
(2) recognized by the United States Department of |
|
Justice. |
|
Sec. 422.002. INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN ACCOUNT. |
|
(a) The Internet crimes against children account is an account in |
|
the general revenue fund. |
|
(b) The account consists of: |
|
(1) money transferred by the legislature directly to |
|
the account; and |
|
(2) gifts, grants, or donations. |
|
(c) Interest earned on the account shall be credited to the |
|
account. |
|
(d) Section 403.095 does not apply to the account. |
|
(e) Money in the account may be appropriated only to support |
|
the administration and activities of an ICAC task force. |
|
(f) Any money in the account that is appropriated in a state |
|
fiscal year under Subsection (e) shall be appropriated in equal |
|
amounts to each ICAC task force. |
|
Sec. 422.003. ADMINISTRATIVE SUBPOENA. (a) The attorney |
|
general shall assist persons authorized under this section in |
|
obtaining administrative subpoenas to investigate and prosecute |
|
offenses that involve the Internet-based sexual exploitation of a |
|
minor. |
|
(b) A prosecuting attorney or an officer of an ICAC task |
|
force may issue and cause to be served an administrative subpoena |
|
that requires the production of records or other documentation as |
|
described by Subsection (d) if: |
|
(1) the subpoena relates to an investigation of an |
|
offense that involves the sexual exploitation of a minor; and |
|
(2) there is reasonable cause to believe that an |
|
Internet or electronic service account provided through an |
|
electronic communication service or remote computing service has |
|
been used in the sexual exploitation or attempted sexual |
|
exploitation of the minor. |
|
(c) A subpoena under Subsection (b) must: |
|
(1) describe any objects or items to be produced; and |
|
(2) prescribe a reasonable return date by which those |
|
objects or items must be assembled and made available. |
|
(d) Except as provided by Subsection (e), a subpoena issued |
|
under Subsection (b) may require the production of any records or |
|
other documentation relevant to the investigation, including: |
|
(1) a name; |
|
(2) an address; |
|
(3) a local or long distance telephone connection |
|
record, satellite-based Internet service provider connection |
|
record, or record of session time and duration; |
|
(4) the duration of the applicable service, including |
|
the start date for the service and the type of service used; |
|
(5) a telephone or instrument number or other number |
|
used to identify a subscriber, including a temporarily assigned |
|
network address; and |
|
(6) the source of payment for the service, including a |
|
credit card or bank account number. |
|
(e) A provider of an electronic communication service or |
|
remote computing service may not disclose the following information |
|
in response to a subpoena issued under Subsection (b): |
|
(1) an in-transit electronic communication; |
|
(2) an account membership related to an Internet |
|
group, newsgroup, mailing list, or specific area of interest; |
|
(3) an account password; or |
|
(4) any account content, including: |
|
(A) any form of electronic mail; |
|
(B) an address book, contact list, or buddy list; |
|
(C) a financial record; |
|
(D) Internet proxy content or Internet history; |
|
or |
|
(E) a file or other digital document stored in |
|
the account or as part of the use of the account. |
|
(f) A provider of an electronic communication service or |
|
remote computing service shall disclose the information described |
|
by Subsection (e) if that disclosure is required by court order. |
|
(g) A person authorized to serve process under the Texas |
|
Rules of Civil Procedure may serve a subpoena issued under |
|
Subsection (b). The person shall serve the subpoena in accordance |
|
with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. |
|
(h) Before the return date specified on a subpoena issued |
|
under Subsection (b), the person receiving the subpoena may, in an |
|
appropriate court located in the county where the subpoena was |
|
issued, petition for an order to modify or quash the subpoena or to |
|
prohibit disclosure of applicable information by a court. |
|
(i) If a criminal case or proceeding does not result from |
|
the production of records or other documentation under this section |
|
within a reasonable period, the prosecuting attorney or ICAC task |
|
force shall, as appropriate: |
|
(1) destroy the records or documentation; or |
|
(2) return the records or documentation to the person |
|
who produced the records or documentation. |
|
Sec. 422.004. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION. Any |
|
information, records, or data reported or obtained under a subpoena |
|
issued under Section 422.003(b): |
|
(1) is confidential; and |
|
(2) may not be disclosed to any other person unless the |
|
disclosure is made as part of a criminal case related to those |
|
materials. |
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |