BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 578

By: West

Intergovernmental Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill sponsor has informed the committee that past studies from the U.S. Department of Justice have shown that households at or below the federal poverty level have a high rate of violent victimization and that a study in The Economic Journal found that the presence of surveillance cameras reduced the overall crime rate by approximately 25 percent at city center stations in the Stockholm subway system. S.B. 578 seeks to reduce crime in housing developments by catching criminal acts by requiring surveillance cameras for tax credit housing developments, making sure they are installed and maintained at appropriate locations throughout the development.

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

S.B. 578 amends the Government Code to require a housing development that has received an allocation of low income housing tax credits under the low income housing tax credit program to install and maintain operable exterior surveillance cameras at appropriate locations throughout the development. The bill establishes that the requirement does not apply to a development that is located in a rural area or that received an allocation of such tax credits before September 1, 2025.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.