BILL ANALYSIS |
C.S.H.B. 2509 |
By: Parker |
Criminal Jurisprudence |
Committee Report (Substituted) |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Interested parties contend that victims of human trafficking who accrue prostitution, theft, and drug possession convictions as a direct result of their trafficking victim status often continue to be treated as criminals after they have escaped the human trafficking environment. The parties note that these convictions often stand in the way of obtaining a stable living environment, maintaining employment in desirable fields, obtaining certain professional licenses, pursuing a higher education, and several other pursuits. C.S.H.B. 2509 seeks to remedy this situation by extending to these victims the authorization to petition a court for an order of nondisclosure of criminal history record information.
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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.
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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.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 2509 amends the Government Code to extend the authorization to petition a court for an order of nondisclosure of criminal history record information on the grounds that a person committed an offense solely as a victim of trafficking of persons to a person who on conviction of one of the following offenses is placed on community supervision and the conviction of which is subsequently set aside by the court: theft; unauthorized use of a vehicle; possession, manufacture, or distribution of certain instruments used to commit retail theft; organized retail theft; unauthorized acquisition or transfer of certain financial information; or certain offenses under the Texas Controlled Substances Act.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2017.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 2509 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
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