| 1 | 1 | | 87R6626 MAW-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Crockett H.B. No. 1459 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a racial disparity impact statement attached to certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | bills or resolutions creating or expanding criminal offenses. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 314, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Section 314.006 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 314.006. RACIAL DISPARITY IMPACT STATEMENT FOR |
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| 13 | 13 | | CRIMINAL OFFENSES. (a) The board shall prepare a racial disparity |
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| 14 | 14 | | impact statement for each bill or resolution that creates a new |
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| 15 | 15 | | offense or significantly expands the applicability of an existing |
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| 16 | 16 | | offense. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The impact statement must include information |
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| 18 | 18 | | concerning the impact of the legislation on racial and ethnic |
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| 19 | 19 | | minority groups, including a statistical analysis of the impact on |
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| 20 | 20 | | those groups with regard to sentencing of defendants and the |
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| 21 | 21 | | eligibility of defendants for release on parole. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) The board shall consult with the Department of Public |
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| 23 | 23 | | Safety and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to develop a |
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| 24 | 24 | | protocol for analyzing the impact of the bill or resolution on |
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| 25 | 25 | | racial and ethnic minority groups. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) The impact statement must be attached to the bill or |
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| 27 | 27 | | resolution immediately following: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) the fiscal note attached under Section 314.003; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) if a dynamic fiscal impact statement is prepared |
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| 30 | 30 | | under Section 314.005, the dynamic fiscal impact statement. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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