BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4070

By: Schaefer

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 87th Legislature passed H.B. 1540, which expanded investigatory tools recommended by the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force. One of the changes made by that legislation was to require primary and secondary schools to post certain warning signs relating to human trafficking. H.B. 1540 applied the new signage requirement to both public and private schools. However, private schools are not regulated in the same way that public schools are, and they should not have been made subject to that requirement. C.S.H.B. 4070 seeks to remedy this situation by removing private schools from the applicability of the signage requirement. 

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

C.S.H.B. 4070 amends the Education Code to remove a private primary or secondary school from the applicability of the requirement for schools to post warning signs of increased trafficking penalties at certain locations.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 4070 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Both versions provide for the bill to take effect immediately if it receives the requisite vote, but the substitute changes the date the bill takes effect if it does not receive the requisite vote from the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session, as in the introduced, to September 1, 2023.