BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2360

By: Moody

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that ambiguities regarding the time at which arrest warrants and their supporting affidavits are made available to the public can cause premature disclosure of the existence of a warrant and jeopardize its execution. H.B. 2360 would address this issue by specifying that a copy of an arrest warrant and any supporting affidavits becomes available to the public immediately after the warrant is executed.

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. 2360 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to specify that a magistrate's clerk is required to make a copy of an arrest warrant and any applicable affidavit available for public inspection in the clerk's office immediately after the warrant is executed.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.