BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 834 By: Hernandez Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Senior citizens with mentally debilitating conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, often wander from their residences, sometimes with tragic results. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed legislation establishing an alert system for missing senior citizens. The Silver Alert program, as implemented by the Department of Public Safety, allows law enforcement agencies to use a broad array of media and communication tools to help locate a missing senior citizen. However, there is a lingering concern that certain statutory requirements may be contributing to bureaucratic delays between the initial request for an alert and the issuance of the alert. H.B. 834 seeks to adjust certain criteria for the issuance of a silver alert in order to reduce those delays and allow speedy access to those communication tools. 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. 834 amends the Government Code to remove from the criteria for the issuance of a silver alert for a missing senior citizen that a local law enforcement agency verify that at the time the senior citizen is reported missing the senior citizen's domicile is in Texas. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 834
By: Hernandez
Homeland Security & Public Safety
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 834
By: Hernandez
Homeland Security & Public Safety
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Senior citizens with mentally debilitating conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, often wander from their residences, sometimes with tragic results. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed legislation establishing an alert system for missing senior citizens. The Silver Alert program, as implemented by the Department of Public Safety, allows law enforcement agencies to use a broad array of media and communication tools to help locate a missing senior citizen. However, there is a lingering concern that certain statutory requirements may be contributing to bureaucratic delays between the initial request for an alert and the issuance of the alert. H.B. 834 seeks to adjust certain criteria for the issuance of a silver alert in order to reduce those delays and allow speedy access to those communication tools.
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. 834 amends the Government Code to remove from the criteria for the issuance of a silver alert for a missing senior citizen that a local law enforcement agency verify that at the time the senior citizen is reported missing the senior citizen's domicile is in Texas.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Senior citizens with mentally debilitating conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, often wander from their residences, sometimes with tragic results. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed legislation establishing an alert system for missing senior citizens. The Silver Alert program, as implemented by the Department of Public Safety, allows law enforcement agencies to use a broad array of media and communication tools to help locate a missing senior citizen. However, there is a lingering concern that certain statutory requirements may be contributing to bureaucratic delays between the initial request for an alert and the issuance of the alert. H.B. 834 seeks to adjust certain criteria for the issuance of a silver alert in order to reduce those delays and allow speedy access to those communication tools.
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. 834 amends the Government Code to remove from the criteria for the issuance of a silver alert for a missing senior citizen that a local law enforcement agency verify that at the time the senior citizen is reported missing the senior citizen's domicile is in Texas.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.