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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information of |
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an applicant for or a person protected by a protective order. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 82, Family Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 82.011 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 82.011. CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. On |
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request by an applicant, the court may protect the applicant's |
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mailing address by rendering an order: |
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(1) requiring the applicant to: |
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(A) disclose the applicant's mailing address to |
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the court; |
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(B) designate a person to receive on behalf of |
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the applicant any notice or documents filed with the court related |
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to the application; and |
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(C) disclose the designated person's mailing |
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address to the court; |
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(2) requiring the court clerk to: |
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(A) strike the applicant's mailing address from |
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the public records of the court, if applicable; and |
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(B) maintain a confidential record of the |
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applicant's mailing address for use only by the court; and |
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(3) prohibiting the release of the information to the |
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respondent. |
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SECTION 2. Section 82.041(a), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A notice of an application for a protective order must: |
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(1) be styled "The State of Texas"; |
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(2) be signed by the clerk of the court under the |
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court's seal; |
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(3) contain the name and location of the court; |
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(4) show the date the application was filed; |
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(5) show the date notice of the application for a |
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protective order was issued; |
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(6) show the date, time, and place of the hearing; |
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(7) show the file number; |
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(8) show the name of each applicant and each person |
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alleged to have committed family violence; |
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(9) be directed to each person alleged to have |
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committed family violence; |
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(10) show: |
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(A) the name and address of the attorney for the |
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applicant; or |
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(B) [the mailing address of the applicant,] if |
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the applicant is not represented by an attorney: |
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(i) the mailing address of the applicant; |
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or |
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(ii) if applicable, the name and mailing |
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address of the person designated under Section 82.011; and |
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(11) contain the address of the clerk of the court. |
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SECTION 3. Section 85.007(b), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) On granting a request for confidentiality under this |
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section, the court shall order the clerk to: |
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(1) strike the information described by Subsection (a) |
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from the public records of the court; and |
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(2) maintain a confidential record of the information |
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for use only by: |
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(A) the court; or |
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(B) a law enforcement agency for purposes of |
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entering the information required by Section 411.042(b)(6), |
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Government Code, into the statewide law enforcement information |
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system maintained by the Department of Public Safety. |
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SECTION 4. Section 411.042(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) The bureau of identification and records shall: |
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(1) procure and file for record photographs, pictures, |
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descriptions, fingerprints, measurements, and other pertinent |
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information of all persons arrested for or charged with a criminal |
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offense or convicted of a criminal offense, regardless of whether |
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the conviction is probated; |
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(2) collect information concerning the number and |
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nature of offenses reported or known to have been committed in the |
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state and the legal steps taken in connection with the offenses, and |
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other information useful in the study of crime and the |
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administration of justice, including information that enables the |
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bureau to create a statistical breakdown of: |
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(A) offenses in which family violence was |
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involved; |
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(B) offenses under Sections 22.011 and 22.021, |
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Penal Code; and |
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(C) offenses under Sections 20A.02 and 43.05, |
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Penal Code; |
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(3) make ballistic tests of bullets and firearms and |
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chemical analyses of bloodstains, cloth, materials, and other |
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substances for law enforcement officers of the state; |
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(4) cooperate with identification and crime records |
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bureaus in other states and the United States Department of |
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Justice; |
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(5) maintain a list of all previous background checks |
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for applicants for any position regulated under Chapter 1702, |
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Occupations Code, who have undergone a criminal history background |
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check under Section 411.119, if the check indicates a Class B |
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misdemeanor or equivalent offense or a greater offense; |
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(6) collect information concerning the number and |
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nature of protective orders and magistrate's orders of emergency |
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protection and all other pertinent information about all persons |
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subject to active orders, including pertinent information about |
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persons subject to conditions of bond imposed for the protection of |
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the victim in any family violence, sexual assault or abuse, |
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stalking, or trafficking case. Information in the law enforcement |
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information system relating to an active order shall include: |
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(A) the name, sex, race, date of birth, personal |
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descriptors, address, and county of residence of the person to whom |
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the order is directed; |
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(B) any known identifying number of the person to |
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whom the order is directed, including the person's social security |
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number or driver's license number; |
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(C) the name and county of residence of the |
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person protected by the order; |
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(D) the residence address and place of employment |
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or business of the person protected by the order, unless that |
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information is excluded from the order under [Section 85.007,
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Family Code, or] Article 17.292(e), Code of Criminal Procedure; |
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(E) the child-care facility or school where a |
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child protected by the order normally resides or which the child |
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normally attends, unless that information is excluded from the |
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order under [Section 85.007, Family Code, or] Article 17.292(e), |
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Code of Criminal Procedure; |
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(F) the relationship or former relationship |
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between the person who is protected by the order and the person to |
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whom the order is directed; |
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(G) the conditions of bond imposed on the person |
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to whom the order is directed, if any, for the protection of a |
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victim in any family violence, sexual assault or abuse, stalking, |
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or trafficking case; |
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(H) any minimum distance the person subject to |
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the order is required to maintain from the protected places or |
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persons; and |
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(I) the date the order expires; |
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(7) grant access to criminal history record |
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information in the manner authorized under Subchapter F; |
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(8) collect and disseminate information regarding |
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offenders with mental impairments in compliance with Chapter 614, |
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Health and Safety Code; and |
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(9) record data and maintain a state database for a |
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computerized criminal history record system and computerized |
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juvenile justice information system that serves: |
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(A) as the record creation point for criminal |
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history record information and juvenile justice information |
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maintained by the state; and |
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(B) as the control terminal for the entry of |
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records, in accordance with federal law and regulations, federal |
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executive orders, and federal policy, into the federal database |
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maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. |
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SECTION 5. Section 82.011, Family Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies only to an application for a protective order that is |
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filed on or after the effective date of this Act. An application |
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for a protective order filed before the effective date of this Act |
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is governed by the law in effect on the date the application is |
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filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. Section 85.007, Family Code, and Section |
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411.042, Government Code, as amended by this Act, apply to a |
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protective order issued on or after the effective date of this Act, |
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regardless of whether the conduct on which the order is based |
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occurred before, on, or after that date. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |