BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2621

By: Meyer

Transportation

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that using currently available highway camera technology to maintain a video archive of traffic footage could potentially aid law enforcement in solving crime. The bill author has additionally informed the committee that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) currently maintains live video footage across 25 cities but does not maintain an archive of this footage. C.S.H.B. 2621 would require TxDOT to maintain a 30-day video archive of highway footage it collects.

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. 2621 amends the Transportation Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to record live video feed of each video camera used to carry out TxDOT's functions and to archive those recordings for at least 30 days from the date of the recording. The bill establishes that such a recording is confidential and not subject to disclosure under state public information law, except that TxDOT may provide access to a recording as follows:

· to a law enforcement agency for use related to a criminal investigation; or

· to respond to an emergency, such as a motor vehicle collision resulting in serious bodily injury or death, a bridge collapse, or the activation of a statewide alert system.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2621 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.

The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced authorizing TxDOT to provide access to a recording to respond to an emergency.