BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2051

By: Zwiener

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, there is no single source of data that provides a complete picture of crimes related to sexual assault offenses in Texas. To ensure justice for victims of sexual assault, we must provide researchers and advocates the tools they need to understand the breadth of sexual assault in Texas and better train investigators and prosecutors in how to best handle these cases. The lack of statistical information regarding the efficacy of the non-reported sexual assault evidence program hinders the state's ability to provide proper justice to victims of sexual violence. This deficit of information makes investigators and prosecutors ill-equipped to handle these cases. H.B. 2051 seeks to address the issue by requiring the Department of Public Safety to compile and maintain statistics on the number of victims of sexual assault in each calendar year who have reported the sexual assault to law enforcement agency after receiving a forensic medical examination.

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

H.B. 2051 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to compile and maintain statistics on the number of victims of sexual assault in each calendar year who have reported the sexual assault to a law enforcement agency after receiving a forensic medical examination, regardless of the year in which that examination was performed. The bill prohibits a victim's identifying information from being included in the statistics that are compiled and maintained by DPS. The bill requires DPS, not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, to report the statistics to the standing committees of the house of representatives and senate with primary jurisdiction over criminal justice issues and to post the statistics on the DPS website.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.