BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 536

By: Whitmire

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that prior legislation created the prostitution prevention program within the Health and Safety Code's public health provisions for individuals charged with prostitution. Since then, the legislature has conducted extensive reviews of the commercial sex trade and determined that many individuals associated with the commercial sex trade are victims in need of assistance and guidance. These parties assert that it is important that people acknowledge the reality of the commercial sex trade, and the parties contend that this program now needs to be renamed and also transferred to the Government Code so that it falls under the provisions relating to specialty courts. S.B. 536 seeks to address issues relating to this program.

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

S.B. 536 amends the Health and Safety Code to transfer the prostitution prevention program to the Government Code and to subject the program to the statutory authorities and requirements in that code generally applicable to specialty courts, to rename that program as the commercially sexually exploited persons court program, and to revise and update applicable statutory provisions to reflect the transfer and renaming of the program. The bill authorizes a county to apply to the criminal justice division of the governor's office for a grant for the establishment or operation of a commercially sexually exploited persons court program.

S.B. 536 amends the Government Code to make conforming changes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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