BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1161

By: Meyer

Criminal Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the Office of the Attorney General explicitly provides protections through an address confidentiality program (ACP) for survivors of family violence, sexual assault or abuse, or stalking or trafficking of persons. However, child survivors of abduction are not identified as eligible program participants. As a result, child abduction survivors and their families are susceptible to harassment and attempts by perpetrators to initiate unwanted contact, including continued threats of criminal activity, especially in the case of familial abductions. H.B. 1161 seeks to better protect Texas children and families by permitting child abduction survivors and their families to enroll in ACP to ensure that their addresses remain confidential.  

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. 1161 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to expand the scope of the attorney general's address confidentiality program (ACP) to include victims of child abduction. The bill revises and updates ACP eligibility criteria and application procedures accordingly and defines "child abduction" as any conduct that constitutes an offense of unlawful restraint, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, interference with child custody, or agreement to abduct from custody and that results in a person younger than 18 years of age becoming a victim of the offense.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.