H.B. No. 424
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the sex offender status of a person who becomes a
  resident of certain group home facilities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle G, Title 4, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Chapter 325 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 325. NOTICE OF SEX OFFENDER STATUS TO RESIDENTS OF GROUP
  HOME
         Sec. 325.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Director" means the administrator primarily
  responsible for the operation of a group home.
               (2)  "Group home" includes:
                     (A)  an assisted living facility, as defined by
  Section 247.002;
                     (B)  a boarding home facility, as defined by
  Section 260.001;
                     (C)  a facility as defined by Section 246.002;
                     (D)  a supportive housing facility operated by the
  state, a local government, or a private agency that provides
  supportive services to persons with mental illness, substance use
  conditions, or physical disabilities who require access to
  rehabilitative services and a stable living arrangement to maintain
  consistent treatment regimens; and
                     (E)  a transitional housing facility designed to
  facilitate the transition from inpatient to outpatient care or,
  within a reasonable time, the transition from homelessness to
  permanent housing for persons with serious mental illnesses,
  substance use conditions, or physical disabilities and who may
  require intensive case management and assistance with long-term
  goal planning and independent living skills.
               (3)  "Resident" means a person who resides and receives
  services at a group home.
         Sec. 325.002.  APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter does
  not apply to a group home that accepts or is assigned only residents
  who are sex offenders required to register under Chapter 62, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, if the residents receive treatment at the group
  home from a sex offender treatment provider who is licensed under
  Chapter 110, Occupations Code.
         Sec. 325.003.  SEX OFFENDER STATUS CHECK. Except as
  provided by Section 325.002, as soon as practicable after a person
  requests to live at a group home or is assigned to live at a group
  home as a condition of community supervision or as a condition of
  release on parole or to mandatory supervision, the director of the
  group home shall ascertain whether the person is registered under
  Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure, by consulting the Internet
  website maintained by the Department of Public Safety that contains
  the sex offender database.
         Sec. 325.004.  NOTICE TO OTHER RESIDENTS REQUIRED. If based
  on information obtained under Section 325.003 the director
  ascertains that a person is a registered sex offender, not later
  than the third day after the date the person becomes a resident of
  the group home, the director shall provide notice that the person is
  a sex offender to the legal guardian of each current resident who
  has a legal guardian and directly to each other resident. The
  notice must contain all of the information about the person that is
  available on the website described by Section 325.003.
         Sec. 325.005.  IMMUNITY FOR RELEASE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION.
  A group home or its director is not liable under any law for damages
  arising from conduct required under this chapter.
         Sec. 325.006.  NOTICE ABOUT CURRENT RESIDENTS. Not later
  than March 1, 2014, the director of a group home shall ascertain, in
  the manner provided by Section 325.003, whether any resident of the
  group home is registered under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, and provide to the legal guardian of each current
  resident who has a legal guardian, and directly to each other
  resident, notice about each resident who is required to register
  under that chapter as provided by Section 325.004. This section
  expires April 1, 2014.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 424 was passed by the House on April
  3, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 3, 2 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 424 was passed by the Senate on May
  17, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 2.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor