BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

S.B. 1290

By: Creighton

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties note that an emergency communication district is responsible for enabling and maintaining the communications network infrastructure that may be utilized to share critical emergency incident data with first responders. S.B. 1290 entitles an emergency communication district to obtain from the Department of Public Safety criminal history record information regarding certain individuals to help ensure the security of that infrastructure.

 

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. 1290 amends the Government Code to entitle an emergency communication district to obtain from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) criminal history record information maintained by DPS that relates to a person who is an applicant for employment by or an employee of the district, an applicant for a volunteer position or a volunteer with the district, or an applicant for employment by or an employee of a person that contracts with the district. The bill prohibits the criminal history record information obtained by an emergency communication district from being released or disclosed to any person except in a criminal proceeding, on court order, or with the consent of the person who is the subject of the information.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2017.