Bill Text: TX SB1806 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Task Force on Prevention and Investigation of Violent Crime.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-26 - Referred to Criminal Justice [SB1806 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1806-Introduced.html
87R11460 EAS-F | ||
By: Johnson | S.B. No. 1806 |
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relating to the creation of the Task Force on Prevention and | ||
Investigation of Violent Crime. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. TASK FORCE ON PREVENTION AND INVESTIGATION OF | ||
VIOLENT CRIME. (a) The Task Force on Prevention and Investigation | ||
of Violent Crime is established to evaluate the policies and | ||
practices of law enforcement agencies and other entities related to | ||
the prevention and investigation of violent crime. | ||
(b) The task force is composed of the following 13 members: | ||
(1) nine members appointed by the governor as follows: | ||
(A) three members representing communities in | ||
this state with chronically high levels of violent crime; | ||
(B) two members with policy expertise in criminal | ||
justice and representing public and private institutions of higher | ||
education in this state; | ||
(C) two members representing law enforcement | ||
agencies from large municipalities in this state experiencing | ||
elevated levels of violent crime; and | ||
(D) two members representing entities that | ||
operate systems that are used by law enforcement agencies and other | ||
governmental agencies to prevent or investigate violent crime in | ||
large municipalities in this state experiencing elevated levels of | ||
violent crime; | ||
(2) two members of the senate appointed by the | ||
lieutenant governor; and | ||
(3) two members of the house of representatives | ||
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. | ||
(c) The governor shall designate a member of the task force | ||
to serve as the presiding officer. | ||
(d) The task force shall: | ||
(1) receive reports and testimony from individuals, | ||
state and local governmental agencies, community-based | ||
organizations, and other public and private organizations | ||
regarding the effectiveness of strategies currently used to prevent | ||
and investigate violent crime in this state; | ||
(2) identify effective policies, procedures, or | ||
programs currently used in this state or in other states to prevent | ||
and investigate violent crime; and | ||
(3) develop policy and other recommendations for state | ||
agencies and the legislature to improve the prevention and | ||
investigation of violent crime in this state. | ||
(e) In developing recommendations under Subsection (d)(3) | ||
of this section, the task force shall: | ||
(1) consider methods to improve relationships and | ||
increase trust between law enforcement agencies and communities | ||
with higher than average violent crime rates to encourage victims | ||
and witnesses to report crimes and cooperate in law enforcement | ||
investigations; | ||
(2) identify best practices in successful criminal | ||
investigations, including best practices with respect to: | ||
(A) evidence collection and handling; | ||
(B) forensics; | ||
(C) witness and victim support; | ||
(D) digital media evidence processing, including | ||
the collection and review of video; and | ||
(E) any other area of criminal investigation that | ||
significantly impacts the ability of a law enforcement agency to | ||
identify a suspect and the ability of the attorney representing the | ||
state to obtain a conviction; | ||
(3) evaluate the costs and benefits of proactive law | ||
enforcement strategies; | ||
(4) evaluate the effectiveness of 9-1-1 dispatch | ||
systems throughout the state in delivering responses to calls | ||
related to violent crime; | ||
(5) facilitate cooperation and the ability to share | ||
information among law enforcement agencies and public and private | ||
entities; | ||
(6) encourage the collection, sharing, public | ||
dissemination, and effective use of data by law enforcement | ||
agencies to improve their operations; | ||
(7) evaluate ways to improve law enforcement trainings | ||
and procedures to facilitate successful criminal investigations; | ||
and | ||
(8) consider strategies designed to improve | ||
employment-related incentives for peace officers, including | ||
promotions, and to improve procedures for disciplining peace | ||
officers more effectively, including strategies that will: | ||
(A) reward officers who display exceptional | ||
skill at discharging law enforcement functions; and | ||
(B) appropriately discipline officers who engage | ||
in misconduct. | ||
(f) The Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas | ||
shall provide reasonably necessary administrative and technical | ||
support to the task force. | ||
(g) Appointed members of the task force serve without | ||
compensation and may not be reimbursed for travel or other expenses | ||
incurred while conducting the business of the task force. | ||
(h) The Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas | ||
may accept gifts, grants, or donations on behalf of the task force | ||
to carry out the task force's duties under this Act. | ||
(i) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the | ||
task force. | ||
SECTION 2. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2022, the | ||
task force shall prepare and submit a report on the task force's | ||
activities to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of | ||
the house of representatives, and each standing committee of the | ||
legislature having primary jurisdiction over criminal justice | ||
matters. The report must include: | ||
(1) the findings and recommendations of the task | ||
force, including recommendations described by Section 1(d)(3) of | ||
this Act; and | ||
(2) other relevant information that the task force | ||
considers appropriate. | ||
SECTION 3. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS. As soon as practicable | ||
after the effective date of this Act, the governor, lieutenant | ||
governor, and speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint | ||
the members of the task force as required by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. ABOLITION OF TASK FORCE. The task force is | ||
abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2021. |