BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 4350
	By: Capriglione; Oliverson (Zaffirini)
	Business & Commerce
	5/21/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Peace officers face not only the physical dangers of their profession but also increasing risks from persons who may use publicly available information to target them or their families. The accessibility of online databases has heightened these threats, as such tools can be exploited by persons intent on causing harm.

H.B. 4350 would allow peace officers request the redaction of their personal information, specifically Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and residential addresses, from online real property records. This measure aims to proactively protect their privacy without compromising the overall integrity of public records. 

H.B. 4350 amends current law relating to the omission or redaction of certain personal information from certain real property records.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.008, Property Code, by amending Subsection (j) and adding Subsection (k), as follows:

(j) Requires the county clerk, on receipt of a written request from certain persons, including a peace officer as described by Article 2A.001 (Peace Officers Generally), Code of Criminal Procedure, or a person having power or authority under Article 2A.002 (Special Investigators), Code of Criminal Procedure, to omit or redact from an instrument described by this section that is available in an online database made public by the county clerk, or by a provider with which the county commissioners court contracts to provide the online database, social security number, driver's license number, and residence address of those persons.

(k) Requires a county clerk or provider with which the county commissioners court contracts who omits or redacts information from an instrument in accordance with Subsection (j) to display on the Internet website of the online database in which the instrument is available to the public a clear and conspicuous statement that, in accordance with state law, information has been redacted from certain instruments in the database and the online database does not constitute the official repository of real property records and may not reflect the complete or unaltered contents of those records as maintained in the official real property records.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.