HBA-DMD H.B. 3175 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3175 By: King, Phil Public Safety 4/15/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Over 600 law enforcement agencies in 40 states utilize voice stress analysis instrumentation to solve serious crimes. Texas is one of ten states that preclude its use due to the Polygraph Examiners Act, which prohibits any technology that purports to detect deception or to verify the truth of statements through the use of instrumentation. H.B. 3175 makes licensed peace officers, who are certified voice stress analyzer examiners that utilize a computerized voice stress analyzer in an official criminal investigation, an exception to the requirement that the Polygraph Examiners Act regulate all persons who purport to be able to detect deception or to the verify truth of statements through the use of instrumentation. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 2, Article 4413(29cc), V.T.C.S. (The Polygraph Examiners Act), to make licensed peace officers, who are certified voice stress analyzer examiners that utilize a computerized voice stress analyzer in an official criminal investigation, an exception to the requirement that this Act be liberally constructed to regulate all persons who purport to be able to detect deception or to verify truth of statements through the use of instrumentation. SECTION 2.Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.