BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1539

By: Meyer

General Investigating & Ethics

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law describes actions by a public servant or a person that are considered a misuse of official information and punishable as a third degree felony.  To further discourage the misuse of official information for personal financial gain, H.B. 1539 proposes a tiered system of punishment that would increase the criminal penalties in certain circumstances.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes 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. 1539 amends the Penal Code to establish penalties for a misuse of official information offense that results in a net pecuniary gain to the person committing the offense ranging from a third degree felony to a first degree felony, depending on the amount of the net pecuniary gain.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.