BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2575

By: Meyer

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that a person who is subject to sex offender registration should be required to inform school officials when the person visits a school. The goal of H.B. 2575 is to protect children and prevent the presence of such persons on school premises without the knowledge of the proper school officials.

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. 2575 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require a person subject to sex offender registration who enters the premises of any private or public elementary or secondary school, including a day-care center, in Texas during the standard operating hours of the school to immediately notify the school's administrative office of the person's presence on the premises and the person's sex offender registration status. The bill authorizes the office to provide a chaperon to accompany the person while the person is on the school's premises. The bill establishes that these notification requirements are in addition to any requirement associated with the imposition of a child safety zone on the person as a condition of parole, mandatory supervision, or community supervision and do not apply to a student enrolled at the school or a student from another school participating at an event at the school.

H.B. 2575 requires an official of a penal institution to inform a person who is being released and who will be subject to sex offender registration of the bill's notification requirement and requires a local law enforcement authority who provides a person with a registration form for verification of sex offender registration information to include with the form a statement and, if applicable, a description of the person's duty to provide notice under the bill's provisions.

H.B. 2575 applies to a person subject to sex offender registration for an offense committed or conduct that occurs before, on, or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.