Bill Text: TX HB749 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to a central database containing information about certain persons who have been convicted of or received a grant of deferred adjudication community supervision for certain offenses involving animal cruelty; creating a criminal offense.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-17 - Left pending in committee [HB749 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-HB749-Introduced.html
  85R2935 JCG-F
 
  By: Farrar H.B. No. 749
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a central database containing information about certain
  persons who have been convicted of or received a grant of deferred
  adjudication community supervision for certain offenses involving
  animal cruelty; creating a criminal offense.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 1, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended
  by adding Chapter 61A to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 61A.  ANIMAL CRUELTY REGISTRATION PROGRAM
         Art. 61A.01.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
               (1)  "Department" means the Department of Public
  Safety.
               (2)  "Local law enforcement authority" and "penal
  institution" have the meanings assigned by Article 62.001.
         Art. 61A.02.  CENTRAL DATABASE.  (a)  To the extent that
  funding is available under Article 61A.06, the department shall
  establish and maintain a computerized central database containing
  information regarding persons who:
               (1)  have been convicted of or received a grant of
  deferred adjudication community supervision for one or more felony
  offenses under Section 42.092 or 42.10, Penal Code; and
               (2)  were 17 years of age or older at the time of the
  offense.
         (b)  If a computerized central database is established by the
  department under Subsection (a), a person described by that
  subsection shall register as required by this chapter until the
  10th anniversary of the date the person was last convicted of or
  received a grant of deferred adjudication community supervision for
  an offense described by Subsection (a)(1).
         (c)  To the extent that funding is available under Article
  61A.06, the department, in cooperation with the Board of Pardons
  and Paroles, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and the
  Commission on Jail Standards, by rule shall design and implement a
  system for the registration of persons described by Subsection (a).  
  The system must include requirements and procedures for:
               (1)  a person described by Subsection (a) to be
  notified, before the person's discharge or release, of the person's
  duty to register with a local law enforcement authority for the
  period required by Subsection (b);
               (2)  the person to register or verify registration with
  a local law enforcement authority:
                     (A)  annually;
                     (B)  every 90 days if the person is determined by
  the department to be high risk because of the person's status as a
  repeat offender; or
                     (C)  every 30 days if the person does not have a
  permanent address;
               (3)  the person to register with a local law
  enforcement authority not later than five days after the date of a
  change in the person's address;
               (4)  the database to track whether a person described
  by Subsection (a) is in compliance with registration requirements;
               (5)  a local law enforcement authority to promptly
  forward registration information to the department for use in the
  database;
               (6)  the database to track whether a person described
  by Subsection (a) is attending or is planning to attend a public or
  private institution of higher education and, if so, the department
  to promptly forward that information to the applicable institution
  of higher education;
               (7)  the inclusion in the database and on the
  department's Internet website of a recent photograph of the person,
  updated annually; and
               (8)  the department to update the database daily.
         Art. 61A.03.  INFORMATION PROVIDED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ON
  REQUEST. (a)  In this article, "animal control officer" has the
  meaning assigned by Section 829.001, Health and Safety Code.
         (b)  The department shall establish a procedure by which a
  peace officer, an animal control officer employed by a county or
  municipality, or an employee of a law enforcement agency who
  provides the department with a driver's license number, personal
  identification certificate number, or license plate number is
  automatically provided information as to whether the person to whom
  the driver's license or personal identification certificate is
  issued is required to register under this chapter or whether the
  license plate number is assigned to a vehicle owned or driven by a
  person required to register under this chapter.
         Art. 61A.04.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION FOR CERTAIN ANIMAL
  CRUELTY OFFENDERS.  (a)  A person required to register under this
  chapter may petition the court having jurisdiction over the case
  for an order exempting the person from registration under this
  chapter at any time after the person's sentencing or after the
  person is placed on deferred adjudication community supervision.
         (b)  After a hearing on the petition described by Subsection
  (a), the court may issue an order exempting the person from
  registration under this chapter if the court finds that an
  exemption would be in the best interest of justice.
         (c)  An order exempting the person from registration under
  this chapter does not expire, except that the court may withdraw the
  order if after the order is issued the person receives another
  conviction or a grant of deferred adjudication community
  supervision for a misdemeanor or felony offense under Section
  42.092 or 42.10, Penal Code.
         Art. 61A.05.  FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH REGISTRATION
  REQUIREMENTS; OFFENSE. (a) A person commits an offense if the
  person is required to register and fails to comply with any
  requirement of this chapter.
         (b)  An offense under this article is a Class C misdemeanor.
         Art. 61A.06.  FUNDING. The department may solicit and
  accept a gift, grant, or donation from any source, including a
  foundation, private entity, governmental entity, or institution of
  higher education, for the establishment and maintenance of the
  computerized central database described by this chapter and the
  implementation of a related system of registration under this
  chapter. The department shall establish and maintain the database
  and implement the registration system only if sufficient funds are
  available under this article for those purposes.
         SECTION 2.  (a)  Chapter 61A, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
  added by this Act, applies only to a person who is convicted of or
  receives a grant of deferred adjudication community supervision for
  an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  A
  person who is convicted of or receives a grant of deferred
  adjudication community supervision for an offense committed before
  the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
  the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued
  in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this subsection, an
  offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any
  element of the offense occurred before that date.
         (b)  As soon as practicable after sufficient funding becomes
  available under Article 61A.06, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
  added by this Act:
               (1)  the Department of Public Safety shall establish
  the requirements and procedures required by Chapter 61A, Code of
  Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act; and
               (2)  the central database required by Chapter 61A, Code
  of Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act, must be designed and
  implemented.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
feedback