BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 834

By: Hernandez

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Senior citizens with mentally debilitating conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, often wander from their residences, sometimes with tragic results. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed legislation establishing an alert system for missing senior citizens. The Silver Alert program, as implemented by the Department of Public Safety, allows law enforcement agencies to use a broad array of media and communication tools to help locate a missing senior citizen. However, there is a lingering concern that certain statutory requirements may be contributing to bureaucratic delays between the initial request for an alert and the issuance of the alert. H.B. 834 seeks to adjust certain criteria for the issuance of a silver alert in order to reduce those delays and allow speedy access to those communication tools.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 834 amends the Government Code to remove from the criteria for the issuance of a silver alert for a missing senior citizen that a local law enforcement agency verify that at the time the senior citizen is reported missing the senior citizen's domicile is in Texas.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.