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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the release of bulk criminal history record information |
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by certain individuals and agencies. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 552, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 552.1426 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 552.1426. DISSEMINATION OF BULK CRIMINAL HISTORY |
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RECORD INFORMATION. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Bulk criminal history record information |
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request" means a request submitted to a district clerk, county |
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clerk, clerk of a justice or municipal court, or criminal justice |
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agency for production, in any format, of all or a significant |
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portion of the criminal history record information maintained by |
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that clerk, court, or agency. The term does not include a request |
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for all or a significant portion of the criminal history record |
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information for a specifically named person. |
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(2) "Criminal history record information" means |
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information about a person that is collected or maintained by a |
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district clerk, county clerk, clerk of a justice or municipal |
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court, or a criminal justice agency and that consists of |
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identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, |
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indictments, informations, and other formal criminal charges and |
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their dispositions. The term does not include: |
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(A) identification information, including |
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fingerprint records, to the extent that the identification |
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information does not indicate involvement of the person in the |
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criminal justice system; |
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(B) traffic offense information maintained by a |
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clerk of a municipal or justice court; or |
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(C) driving record information maintained by the |
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Department of Public Safety under Subchapter C, Chapter 521, |
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Transportation Code. |
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(3) "Criminal justice agency" has the meaning assigned |
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by Section 411.082. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a district clerk, |
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county clerk, clerk of a justice or municipal court, or criminal |
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justice agency, other than the Department of Public Safety, that |
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receives from any person or entity a bulk criminal history record |
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information request concerning Class A or Class B or felony |
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offenses for which a final judgment has been rendered shall deny the |
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request and provide the requestor with instructions for submitting |
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a bulk criminal history record information request to the |
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Department of Public Safety. |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a district clerk, |
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county clerk, clerk of a justice or municipal court, or criminal |
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justice agency that grants a bulk criminal history record |
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information request that is submitted by any person or entity and |
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concerns Class C offenses for which final judgment has been |
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rendered or Class C offenses that are pending final disposition |
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shall: |
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(1) maintain a record of the name and contact |
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information of the requestor and the most recent date criminal |
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history record information was provided to the requestor; and |
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(2) publish the record on the clerk's or agency's |
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Internet website or, if the clerk or agency does not maintain an |
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Internet website, prominently display the record in a public area |
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of the clerk's or agency's place of business. |
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(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a district clerk, |
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county clerk, clerk of a justice or municipal court, or criminal |
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justice agency may grant a bulk criminal history record information |
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request under this subsection if the court or agency is in a |
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jurisdiction that has adopted rules to ensure the provision of |
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notice of any updates to a particular criminal history record to |
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each person who received that criminal history record in response |
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to the submission of a bulk criminal history record information |
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request. Subsection (c) does not apply to a bulk criminal history |
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record information request concerning Class C offenses described by |
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that subsection that is granted in accordance with this subsection. |
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A district clerk, county clerk, clerk of a justice or municipal |
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court, or criminal justice agency authorized to release bulk |
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criminal history record information under this subsection shall |
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update applicable records not later than the 30th day after the date |
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the clerk or agency discovers a change to a person's criminal |
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history record information that was included in a response to the |
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submission of a bulk criminal history record information request. |
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(e) This section does not restrict public access to criminal |
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history record information, other than through a bulk criminal |
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history record information request, or limit the general discretion |
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or authority of any district clerk, county clerk, clerk of a justice |
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or municipal court, or criminal justice agency. |
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SECTION 2. Section 411.087(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) Unless otherwise authorized by Subsection (e), a |
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person, agency, department, political subdivision, or other entity |
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that is authorized by this subchapter to obtain from the department |
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criminal history record information maintained by the department |
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that relates to another person is authorized to: |
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(1) obtain through the Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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criminal history record information maintained or indexed by that |
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bureau that pertains to that person; or |
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(2) obtain from any other criminal justice agency in |
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this state criminal history record information maintained by that |
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criminal justice agency that relates to that person, except as |
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otherwise provided by Section 552.1426. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |