HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOTICE OF FORMAL REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

COMMITTEE:    Mass Violence Prevention & Community Safety, Select
             Duties (1), (2), (3), (4), & (5) 

TIME & DATE:  N/A
Thursday, October 1, 2020 

PLACE:       N/A 
CHAIR:       Rep. Drew Darby 

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and challenges in

scheduling public hearings at this time, the House Select Committee on

Mass Violence Prevention and Community Safety is conducting necessary

oversight functions through an information gathering process under Section

301.014, Government Code. This is notice that the Select Committee is

seeking information and input from the public. Submissions received in

response to this request will be transmitted to members of the Select

Committee and posted on the House website: https://house.texas.gov/committees/committee/?committee=C385

·                The Select Committee seeks specific information from the Designated Parties listed below. Any questions from Select Committee members will be submitted to these Parties today, October 1, 2020, with responses due via email by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2020. Questions submitted to Designated Parties by Select Committee members are posted under the "Responses" heading on the Select Committee's "Formal Request for Information" page on the House website: https://house.texas.gov/committees/committee/requests-for-information/?committeeCode=C385 

·                The Select Committee also seeks submissions from the public, which are due via email by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 16, 2020.

Submission Guidelines:

·                Submissions must be in Microsoft Word.

·                Submissions are requested to be limited to six (6) pages in length. This limit includes any graphs, photos, spreadsheets, or charts, etc.

·                Submissions must be submitted via email to laramie.stroud_hc@house.texas.gov, and are requested to include "Duty # [Insert Number(s)]" in the subject line of the email.

·                Please submit a separate document for each duty to which you are responding.

·                Please include the following information in the body of the submission email: submitter name (first and last name), organization or entity (if applicable and an authorized representative), mailing address, email address, and telephone number.

·                Comments received in response to the Formal Request for Information will be publicly posted on the Texas Legislature Online (TLO), the Texas Legislative Information System (TLIS), and the House website.

·                When submitting comments, please remove any personal identifying information from the Word document, such as your personal phone number, residence address, or email address (only your name and authorized organization or entity, if applicable, should be at the header of the Word document).

Submission Deadlines:

·                Designated Party: The deadline for receipt of Designated Party comments via email is 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 9, 2020. Submissions received by Designated Parties will be posted under the "Responses" heading on the Select Committee's "Formal Request for Information" page on the House website by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2020.

·                Public: The deadline for receipt of public comments via email is 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 16, 2020. Submissions received by the public will be posted under the "Responses" heading on the Select Committee's "Formal Request for Information" page on the House website by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, 2020

Duties:

Duty (1): examine options for strengthening enforcement measures for current laws that prevent the transfer of firearms to felons and other persons prohibited by current law from possessing firearms;

Duty (2): examine impediments and challenges to the timely reporting of relevant criminal history information and other threat indicators to state and federal databases;

Duty (3): examine the role of digital media and technology in threat detection, assessment, reporting, and prevention, including the collaboration between digital media and law enforcement;

Duty (3) Designated Party:

·                Ron Barnes, Head of State Legislative Affairs, Google

Duty (4): evaluate the ongoing and long-term workforce needs of the state related to cybersecurity, mental health, law enforcement, and related professionals; and

Duty (5): evaluate current protocols and extreme risk indicators used to identify potential threats and consider options for improving the dissemination of information between federal, state, and local entities and timely and appropriate intervention of mental health professionals.

In the event it becomes feasible to safely conduct a public hearing, the

Select Committee reserves the right to hold an in-person hearing.

If you need assistance with submissions or have any questions, please

contact the Select Committee at (512) 463-0331 or via email at

laramie.stroud_hc@house.texas.gov.