BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2152

By: Fletcher

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that certain information that relates to the military service and certain personal information that relates to a service member of the state military forces who is ordered to state active duty should be subject to certain confidentiality restrictions. These parties are concerned that such information, should it fall into the wrong hands, could put the service member's family and property in danger. H.B. 2152 seeks to help protect these service members' families and property while they are deployed.

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. 2152 amends the Government Code to establish that information that relates to the military service of a service member ordered to state active duty, including the service member's name, orders, and the location of the service member's deployment, is confidential and not subject to state public information law during the period the service member remains ordered to state active duty but that information pertaining to a service member's state active duty after the service member is relieved from duty is public information and is not excepted from required disclosure under state public information law, subject to state and federal laws governing disclosure of military information.

H.B. 2152 includes information that relates to the home address, home telephone number, emergency contact information, or social security number of a current or former member of the Texas military forces or that reveals whether the current or former member has family members among the information excepted from provisions of state public information law relating to the business hours that public information is available to the public.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.