85R6596 MCK-F
By: Blanco H.B. No. 1203
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a requirement that certain state agencies report on
border security operations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 322.025 to read as follows:
Sec. 322.025. REPORT ON BORDER SECURITY OPERATIONS. (a) In
this section:
(1) "Border security" means the activities in a
reportable county associated with deterring crimes and enforcing
state laws related to:
(A) an offense under Chapters 19, 20, 20A, 22,
34, 36, 46, and 71, Penal Code, that is punishable as a felony of the
third degree or higher;
(B) an offense under Chapter 481, Health and
Safety Code, that is punishable as a felony of the third degree or
higher;
(C) an offense under Section 31.03, Penal Code,
in which the actor obtained another person's property by using
actual or threatened force, violence, or fear or under the color of
official right;
(D) any offense that is coordinated with or
related to activities or crimes that occur or are committed in the
United Mexican States; or
(E) any offense for which the state receives
federal money to enhance law enforcement efforts relating to the
offense.
(2) "Reportable county" means a county:
(A) adjacent to or a portion of which is located
within 20 miles of an international border;
(B) adjacent to two counties located on an
international border with a population of more than 5,000 and less
than 7,500 according to the most recent decennial census;
(C) adjacent to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway,
as defined by Section 51.002, Transportation Code; or
(D) with a population of more than 1 million.
(b) The Department of Public Safety, Texas Military
Department, Parks and Wildlife Department, trusteed programs
within the office of the governor, Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, and any other state agency designated by the board shall
report to the board twice each state fiscal year of the fiscal
biennium ending August 31, 2019, the following:
(1) the amount of money the agency budgeted for border
security and the amount of money the agency spent on border security
during the reporting period in each reportable county and
statewide;
(2) the method of finance for budgeted and expended
amounts;
(3) the object of expense for budgeted and expended
amounts;
(4) the amount of money the agency spent on employee
salaries during the reporting period for duties related to border
security, including regular and overtime pay, in each reportable
county and statewide;
(5) the agency's performance related to border
security during the reporting period in each reportable county and
statewide including:
(A) the arrest rates measuring the number of
arrests by the agency in the state fiscal year compared to an
average of the number of arrests in the immediately preceding five
state fiscal years for human trafficking, illicit drug
transportation or smuggling, stolen vehicles used in illicit drug
transportation or smuggling, smuggling of persons, and organized
crime;
(B) an illicit drugs seizure rate measuring the
amount and type of illicit drugs seized by the agency in the state
fiscal year compared to an average of the amount and type of illicit
drugs seized by the agency for the immediately preceding five
state fiscal years;
(C) the total number and an itemized list of
illicit drug interdictions in trafficking quantities by the agency;
(D) the total number and an itemized list of
currency seizures connected to organized crime arrests with amounts
of currency by the agency; and
(E) a currency seizure rate measuring the amount
of currency seized by the agency in the state fiscal year compared
to an average of the amount of currency seized by the agency for the
immediately preceding five state fiscal years; and
(6) any other information relating to the agency's
border security operations that the board may require.
(c) A state agency required by Subsection (b) to report
information to the board shall submit information for the first
half of a state fiscal year not later than March 31 of that year and
information for the second half of a state fiscal year not later
than September 30 of that year. The state agency shall submit the
information in the manner prescribed by the board.
(d) This section expires January 1, 2020.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.