Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

________________ C RIMINAL
USTICE/General/General
RIMINAL JUSTICE
77 th Texas Legislature
Expanding the Offenses Requiring an Inmate to Provide a DNA Specimen - H.B. 588
by Representatives Garcia and Allen
Senate Sponsor: Senator Jackson
Amends existing law to require any inmate serving a sentence for a felony in the institutional division of the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to provide blood samples or other specimens to create a
DNA record.
Provides that if, at the beginning of a fiscal year, the TDCJ executive director determines that insufficient
funds have been appropriated to TDCJ to obtain a sample from each inmate covered by the Act, the
executive director shall direct the institutional division to give priority to obtaining samples from inmates:
• ordered by a court to give the sample or specimen;
• serving sentences for murder, aggravated assault, certain burglary offenses, or any offense for
which the inmate is required to register as a sex offender; or
• previously convicted or adjudicated of murder, aggravated assault, certain burglary offenses, or
any offense for which the inmate is required to register as a sex offender or a similar offense under
federal law or the laws of another state.
Increases the offense for knowingly disclosing information in a DNA record or related to a DNA analysis of
a blood specimen, except as authorized by law, from a misdemeanor to a state jail felony.
Provides that this Act takes effect on the date on which the Department of Public Safety director certifies to
the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives that the state has
received funds from the federal government or from other sources in a sufficient amount to pay all costs to
TDCJ associated with expanding the list of offenses for which samples or specimens are taken for the
purpose of creating a DNA record.
Cruelty to Animals - H.B. 653
by Representative Najera, et al.
Senate Sponsor: Senator Cain
Research has confirmed a correlation between violence against animals and violence toward humans.
Current penalties may not be sufficient to deter future offenses of animal cruelty.
Increases penalties for cruelty to animals, and requires a child who has committed cruelty to animals to
participate in psychological counseling.
Biometric Identifier - H.B. 678
by Representative McCall
Senate Sponsor: Senator Duncan
It is foreseeable that transactions that now require a password or some other form of identification will use
biometric technology in the future.
Senate Research Center 51