BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4003

By: Laubenberg

Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The juvenile justice information system contains information regarding delinquent conduct committed by a juvenile offender, such as information relating to the prosecution of the juvenile offender and the conduct for which the juvenile offender was taken into custody, detained, or referred. Juvenile court records often contain information about the victim of the juvenile offender's conduct. Interested parties contend that a juvenile victim of a juvenile offender's conduct should not be subject to further inconvenience or the public disclosure of personal and sensitive information. H.B. 4003 seeks to ensure that information relating to certain juvenile victims is not disclosed.

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. 4003 amends the Family Code to require the custodian of a juvenile court record or file of a child, before an authorized disclosure of any such record or file, to redact any personally identifiable information about a victim of the child's delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision who was under 18 years of age on the date the conduct occurred, unless the information is necessary for an agency to provide services to the victim or for law enforcement purposes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.