By: Bell (Senate Sponsor - Kolkhorst) H.B. No. 2583

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 4, 2015; May 5, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to access to criminal history record information by a county sheriff.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 411.1237, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 411.1237. ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION: COUNTY FIRE MARSHALS; COUNTY SHERIFFS. (a) On request of the department chief or chief executive of a fire department or an emergency medical services provider for an unincorporated area, a county fire marshal or county sheriff is entitled to obtain from the department criminal history record information maintained by the department that relates to:

(1) an applicant for employment or membership with the requesting fire department or emergency medical services provider; or

(2) an employee or member of the requesting fire department or emergency medical services provider.

(b) The county fire marshal or county sheriff may disclose criminal history record information obtained under Subsection (a) to the department chief or chief executive of the requesting fire department or emergency medical services provider, except that the county fire marshal or county sheriff may disclose criminal history record information obtained by the department from the Federal Bureau of Investigation only to governmental entities or as authorized by federal law, federal executive order, or federal rule.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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