| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 3556 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to a local area activation of the alert system for certain |
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| 6 | 6 | | missing children. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter L, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 411.3555 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 411.3555. LOCAL AREA ACTIVATION FOR CERTAIN MISSING |
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| 11 | 11 | | CHILDREN. On the request of a local law enforcement agency that |
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| 12 | 12 | | knows a child is missing but has not verified the criteria described |
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| 13 | 13 | | by Section 411.355(a), and if the chief law enforcement officer of |
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| 14 | 14 | | the local law enforcement agency believes that activation of the |
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| 15 | 15 | | alert system is warranted, the department shall: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) activate the alert system only in the following |
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| 17 | 17 | | areas: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (A) within a 100-mile radius of the location from |
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| 19 | 19 | | which the child is believed to have gone missing or the location in |
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| 20 | 20 | | which the child was last seen, as applicable; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) in all counties adjacent to the county from |
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| 22 | 22 | | which the child is believed to have gone missing or the county in |
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| 23 | 23 | | which the child was last seen, as applicable; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) notify appropriate participants in the alert |
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| 25 | 25 | | system, as established by rule. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Section 411.356, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 27 | 27 | | read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | Sec. 411.356. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. Before |
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| 29 | 29 | | requesting activation of the alert system, a local law enforcement |
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| 30 | 30 | | agency must verify that the criteria described by Section |
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| 31 | 31 | | 411.355(a) or (b) or 411.3555, as applicable, have been |
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| 32 | 32 | | satisfied. On verification of the applicable criteria, the local |
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| 33 | 33 | | law enforcement agency shall immediately contact the department to |
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| 34 | 34 | | request activation and shall supply the necessary information on |
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| 35 | 35 | | the forms prescribed by the director. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 37 | 37 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 38 | 38 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 40 | 40 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 41 | 41 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 42 | 42 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 43 | 43 | | I certify that H.B. No. 3556 was passed by the House on May 9, |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 3, 2 present, not |
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| 45 | 45 | | voting. |
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| 46 | 46 | | ______________________________ |
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| 47 | 47 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 48 | 48 | | I certify that H.B. No. 3556 was passed by the Senate on May |
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| 49 | 49 | | 24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 50 | 50 | | ______________________________ |
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| 51 | 51 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 52 | 52 | | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 53 | 53 | | Date |
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| 54 | 54 | | _____________________ |
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| 55 | 55 | | Governor |
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