By: Carona S.B. No. 379
(In the Senate - Filed December 17, 2008; February 17, 2009,
read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and
Homeland Security; April 8, 2009, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8,
Nays 0; April 8, 2009, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 379 By: Carona
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to an annual report by the Texas Fusion Center regarding
criminal street gangs and gang-related crime.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 421.082, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to read as follows:
(e) The center shall annually submit to the governor and the
legislature a report regarding criminal street gangs and
gang-related crime. The report must include:
(1) an evaluation of the threat that criminal street
gangs and gang-related crime pose to communities in this state that
are at or near the international border between this state and the
United Mexican States;
(2) an evaluation of the threat that criminal street
gangs and gang-related crime occurring at or near the border pose to
other areas of this state;
(3) identification of any law enforcement strategies
in this state or another jurisdiction that have been effective in
preventing the growth or proliferation of criminal street gangs or
gang-related crime; and
(4) recommendations on actions that may be taken to:
(A) prevent criminal street gangs from
committing human trafficking offenses;
(B) reduce criminal street gang violence
throughout this state, with specific recommendations concerning
reduction of criminal street gang violence at or near the border;
(C) prevent the growth or proliferation of
criminal street gangs throughout this state, with specific
recommendations concerning prevention of the growth or
proliferation of criminal street gangs at or near the border; and
(D) ensure that law enforcement personnel
receive the necessary training and education to effectively deal
with the problems created by criminal street gangs and gang-related
crime.
(f) On request, a criminal justice or juvenile justice
agency of this state shall provide to the center information
relating to criminal street gangs and gang-related crime.
(g) The report required under Subsection (e) may not contain
any information that:
(1) is considered sensitive intelligence information
by the agency that provided the information; or
(2) could jeopardize an ongoing investigation being
conducted by the agency that provided the information.
SECTION 2. The Texas Fusion Center shall submit the first
annual report regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related
crime to the governor and the legislature as required by Subsection
(e), Section 421.082, Government Code, as added by this Act, not
later than September 1, 2010.
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, 2009.
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