BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1631
85R1576 MEW-F	By: Rodr�guez
	Criminal Justice
	4/27/2017
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

People released from prison and on parole for sex offenses are prohibited from traveling on a public or private roadway that passes within 500 feet of a child safety zone. Child safety zones are described as premises where children commonly gather, including schools, day-care facilities, playgrounds, public or private youth centers, public swimming pools, and video arcade facilities.

In many areas of Texas, it is almost impossible to plan a route which does not require one to pass through a child safety zone, whether driving or riding public transportation. This severely limits the options for people on sex offender supervision to live, work, and attend treatment, which can prevent their reintegration into society.

S.B. 1631 allows for a parolee on sex offender supervision to pass through a child safety zone when traveling to or from the parolee's residence, parole office, treatment facility, or other premise at which the parolee has been deemed to have legitimate business, such as work, church, or a healthcare facility. S.B. 1631, therefore, allows those on supervision to drive or ride public transportation on the most direct route to their destinations for legitimate business, increasing their access to housing, employment, and rehabilitative activities.

As proposed, S.B. 1631 amends current law relating to the child safety zone applicable to a person released on parole or to mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 508.187, Government Code, by adding Subsection (b-1), to provide that, notwithstanding Subsection (b)(1)(B) (relating to the prohibition of a certain inmate from going in, on, or within certain premises where children commonly gather), a requirement that a releasee not go in, on, or within a distance specified by a parole panel of certain premises does not apply to a releasee while the releasee is traveling directly en route on a public or private roadway between locations at which the releasee has legitimate business.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 508.225, Government Code, by adding Subsection (a-1), to provide that, notwithstanding Subsection (a)(2) (relating to the prohibition of a certain inmate from going in, on, or within a certain premises where children commonly gather), a requirement that an inmate not go in, on, or within a distance specified by a parole panel of certain premises does not apply to an inmate while the inmate is traveling directly en route on a public or private roadway between locations at which the inmate has legitimate business.

SECTION 3. Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies to a person on parole or mandatory supervision on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the person was released on parole or to mandatory supervision before, on, or after that date.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2017.