| TO: | Honorable Joseph Pickett, Chair, House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB742 by Carona ( Relating to reports of missing children, missing persons, or attempted child abductions and to education and training for peace officers regarding missing or exploited children. ), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, Government Code and Occupations Code to add attempted child abduction by a person other than a relative to the Missing Persons Clearinghouse. The Department of Public Safety would be required to receive and maintain information on attempted child abductions in Texas. The bill would specify that DPS must distribute missing person and missing children report forms in a format that will allow a seamless transfer of that information to the national crime information center. The bill would require DPS to adopt rules for local law enforcement agencies to require certain attempted child abduction information be submitted into missing person databases. The bill would authorize DPS to award grants to certain nonprofit organizations to assist DPS in the implementation of the provisions of the bill. The bill would require all law enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies to report attempted child abductions by using the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System.
The bill would also stipulate the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) must require an officer seeking intermediate or advanced certification issued by TCLEOSE to complete a one-time education and training program on missing or exploited children.
It is assumed the costs of implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within current appropriations. The bill would take effect September 1, 2013.
The bill would require local law enforcement agencies, upon receipt of a report of an attempted child abduction, to provide any relevant information within eight hours of notification of the attempted child abduction to the Missing Persons Clearinghouse and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or other similar national nonprofit organization. The bill would also require local law enforcement agencies to identify missing children who are in danger given certain circumstances. It is assumed there would be no significant fiscal implication to units of local government resulting from the provisions of the bill.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety, 407 Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education
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| LBB Staff: | UP, ESi, AI, JAW, KKR
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