Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Offenses
USTICE/Sex Offenders and
77 th Texas Legislature
DNA Specimen Required to be Obtained from Sex Offenders - S.B. 638
by Senator Barrientos, et al.
House Sponsors: Representative Kitchen, et al.
Requires a DNA specimen to be obtained from persons indicted of, arrested for, or convicted of certain
sexual offenses.
Requires a magistrate to require, as a condition of release of a defendant described under this Act, that the
defendant provide to a law enforcement agency one or more specimens for the purpose of creating a DNA
record.
Authorizes certain defendants to voluntarily provide a DNA specimen.
Requires a court, if the defendant is acquitted or the case is dismissed, to order the law enforcement
agency taking the specimen to immediately destroy the record of the collection of the specimen and require
the Texas Department of Public Safety to destroy the specimen and the record of its receipt.
Sets forth procedures for collection and analysis of the DNA specimen.
Makes it a third degree felony for a person to knowingly disclose information in a DNA record or information
related to a DNA analysis of a blood specimen taken under this Act, except as authorized by law. A
violation constitutes official misconduct.
Notifying Licensing Authorities of Sex Offender Registrant Status - S.B. 654
by Senator Staples
House Sponsors: Representatives Hope and Allen
Currently, there is no mechanism for professional licensing organizations to be notified when a person is
required to register as a sex offender (registrant) with local law enforcement.
Requires registrants to inform the Department of Public Safety of each professional license sought or held
and requires DPS to notify the licensing authorities that an applicant for a license or a licensee is a
registrant.
Provides that a recent color photograph or, if possible, an electronic digital image of a registrant be
collected as part of the registration program.
Restructuring the Sex Offender Registration Screening Tool - S.B. 1206
by Senator Jackson
House Sponsor: Representative Allen
Senate Research Center 64