HBA-NIK H.B. 1758 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1758
By: Allen
Public Safety
3/24/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there is no unit within the Texas Department of Public Safety
(DPS) that deals specifically with monitoring the compliance of sex
offenders with certain statutory requirements.  As of February 1999, there
are 16,404 sex offenders registered with the Texas Sex Offender
registration and notification program.  H.B.1758 creates a sex offender
compliance unit in DPS. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Department of Public Safety in
SECTION 1  (Section 411.0098, Government Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, by adding
Section 411.0098, as follows: 

Sec. 411.0098.  SEX OFFENDER COMPLIANCE UNIT.  (a)  Requires the public
safety director to create a sex offender compliance unit to be operated by
the Department of Public Safety (DPS). 

(b)  Requires the sex offender compliance unit to investigate and arrest
individuals determined to have committed a sexually violent offense, as
defined by Article 62.01 (Definitions), Code of Criminal Procedure. 

(c)  Authorizes the legislature to appropriate funds to DPS from the
fugitive apprehension account for the purpose of paying the costs to the
department of implementing this section. 

(d)  Authorizes DPS to adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.