BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 925

By: Moody

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Critics assert that while current law criminalizes tampering with a government record related to certain educational reporting requirements, there is no such penalty for improperly manipulating data before the data is generated, such as by intimidating or misleading certain students into non-attendance during periods of standardized testing in order to artificially boost a school's test scores. H.B. 925 addresses this issue by including an act intended to impair the accuracy of certain reported educational data as an official oppression offense.

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. 925 amends the Penal Code to enhance from a Class A misdemeanor to a third degree felony the penalty for official oppression by a public servant if the public servant acted with the intent to impair the accuracy of data reported to the Texas Education Agency through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) under a law requiring that reporting.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.