BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 132 By: Lopez, Ray Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current state law makes certain information relating to acts of terrorism or related criminal activities confidential, but it does not explicitly make confidential information relating to hostile acts of foreign adversaries of the United States. The bill author has informed the committee that, as foreign threats evolve, ensuring that sensitive security information remains protected is critical to both state and national security efforts. H.B. 132 seeks to update current law to reflect modern security challenges by strengthening confidentiality protections for certain information used to prevent, detect, respond to, or investigate hostile acts of foreign adversaries of the United States, thus ensuring that the state can effectively counter foreign threats without compromising classified or operationally sensitive information. 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. 132 amends the Government Code to make the following provisions establishing the confidentiality of information collected, assembled, or maintained by or for a governmental entity for the purpose of preventing, detecting, responding to, or investigating, as applicable, an act of terrorism or related criminal activity applicable also with respect to a hostile act by a foreign adversary of the United States: provisions making certain qualified information relating to emergency response providers confidential; provisions making certain information relating to an assessment of the risk or vulnerability of persons or property, including critical infrastructure, to such an act or activity confidential; and provisions making information relating to the details of the encryption codes or security keys for a public communications system confidential. H.B. 132 also makes confidential the following information that is in the possession of a governmental entity with respect to a hostile act by a foreign adversary of the United States: certain information relating to such an act, other than financial information, that is part of a report to a U.S. agency and required to be kept confidential for specified reasons; documents or portions of documents that identify the technical details of particular vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to such an act; and information, including access codes and passwords, relating to the specifications, operating procedures, or location of a security system used to protect public or private property from such an act. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 132
By: Lopez, Ray
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 132
By: Lopez, Ray
Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current state law makes certain information relating to acts of terrorism or related criminal activities confidential, but it does not explicitly make confidential information relating to hostile acts of foreign adversaries of the United States. The bill author has informed the committee that, as foreign threats evolve, ensuring that sensitive security information remains protected is critical to both state and national security efforts. H.B. 132 seeks to update current law to reflect modern security challenges by strengthening confidentiality protections for certain information used to prevent, detect, respond to, or investigate hostile acts of foreign adversaries of the United States, thus ensuring that the state can effectively counter foreign threats without compromising classified or operationally sensitive information.
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. 132 amends the Government Code to make the following provisions establishing the confidentiality of information collected, assembled, or maintained by or for a governmental entity for the purpose of preventing, detecting, responding to, or investigating, as applicable, an act of terrorism or related criminal activity applicable also with respect to a hostile act by a foreign adversary of the United States: provisions making certain qualified information relating to emergency response providers confidential; provisions making certain information relating to an assessment of the risk or vulnerability of persons or property, including critical infrastructure, to such an act or activity confidential; and provisions making information relating to the details of the encryption codes or security keys for a public communications system confidential. H.B. 132 also makes confidential the following information that is in the possession of a governmental entity with respect to a hostile act by a foreign adversary of the United States: certain information relating to such an act, other than financial information, that is part of a report to a U.S. agency and required to be kept confidential for specified reasons; documents or portions of documents that identify the technical details of particular vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to such an act; and information, including access codes and passwords, relating to the specifications, operating procedures, or location of a security system used to protect public or private property from such an act.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current state law makes certain information relating to acts of terrorism or related criminal activities confidential, but it does not explicitly make confidential information relating to hostile acts of foreign adversaries of the United States. The bill author has informed the committee that, as foreign threats evolve, ensuring that sensitive security information remains protected is critical to both state and national security efforts. H.B. 132 seeks to update current law to reflect modern security challenges by strengthening confidentiality protections for certain information used to prevent, detect, respond to, or investigate hostile acts of foreign adversaries of the United States, thus ensuring that the state can effectively counter foreign threats without compromising classified or operationally sensitive information.
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. 132 amends the Government Code to make the following provisions establishing the confidentiality of information collected, assembled, or maintained by or for a governmental entity for the purpose of preventing, detecting, responding to, or investigating, as applicable, an act of terrorism or related criminal activity applicable also with respect to a hostile act by a foreign adversary of the United States:
provisions making certain qualified information relating to emergency response providers confidential;
provisions making certain information relating to an assessment of the risk or vulnerability of persons or property, including critical infrastructure, to such an act or activity confidential; and
provisions making information relating to the details of the encryption codes or security keys for a public communications system confidential.
H.B. 132 also makes confidential the following information that is in the possession of a governmental entity with respect to a hostile act by a foreign adversary of the United States:
certain information relating to such an act, other than financial information, that is part of a report to a U.S. agency and required to be kept confidential for specified reasons;
documents or portions of documents that identify the technical details of particular vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to such an act; and
information, including access codes and passwords, relating to the specifications, operating procedures, or location of a security system used to protect public or private property from such an act.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.