bill shielding public defender staff home addresses

The text as introduced · 1,111 words

89R388 MLH-F

By: Harless
H.B. No. 1798

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the confidentiality of certain home address information

in property tax appraisal records.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 25.025(a), Tax Code, as amended by

Chapters 76 (S.B. 617), 152 (S.B. 870), 430 (H.B. 1911), 765 (H.B.

4504), and 937 (S.B. 1525), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular

Session, 2023, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(a) This section applies only to:

(1) a current or former peace officer as defined by

Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the spouse or

surviving spouse of the peace officer;

(2) the adult child of a current peace officer as

defined by Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure;

(3) a current or honorably retired county jailer as

defined by Section 1701.001, Occupations Code;

(4) an employee of the Texas Department of Criminal

Justice;

(5) a commissioned security officer as defined by

Section 1702.002, Occupations Code;

(6) an individual who shows that the individual, the

individual's child, or another person in the individual's household

is a victim of family violence as defined by Section 71.004, Family

Code, by providing:

(A) a copy of a protective order issued under

Chapter 85, Family Code, or a magistrate's order for emergency

protection issued under Article 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure;

or

(B) other independent documentary evidence

necessary to show that the individual, the individual's child, or

another person in the individual's household is a victim of family

violence;

(7) an individual who shows that the individual, the

individual's child, or another person in the individual's household

is a victim of sexual assault or abuse, stalking, or trafficking of

persons by providing:

(A) a copy of a protective order issued under

Subchapter A or B, Chapter 7B, Code of Criminal Procedure, or a

magistrate's order for emergency protection issued under Article

17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure; or

(B) other independent documentary evidence

necessary to show that the individual, the individual's child, or

another person in the individual's household is a victim of sexual

assault or abuse, stalking, or trafficking of persons;

(8) a participant in the address confidentiality

program administered by the attorney general under Subchapter B,

Chapter 58, Code of Criminal Procedure, who provides proof of

certification under Article 58.059, Code of Criminal Procedure;

(9) a federal judge, a federal bankruptcy judge, a

marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a state judge, or a

family member of a federal judge, a federal bankruptcy judge, a

marshal of the United States Marshals Service, or a state judge;

(10) a current or former district attorney, criminal

district attorney, or county or municipal attorney whose

jurisdiction includes any criminal law or child protective services

matters;

(11) a current or former employee of a district

attorney, criminal district attorney, or county or municipal

attorney whose jurisdiction includes any criminal law or child

protective services matters;

(12) an officer or employee of a community supervision

and corrections department established under Chapter 76,

Government Code, who performs a duty described by Section 76.004(b)

of that code;

(13) a criminal investigator of the United States as

described by Article 2A.002(a), Code of Criminal Procedure;

(14) a current or honorably retired police officer or

inspector of the United States Federal Protective Service;

(15) a current or former United States attorney,

assistant United States attorney, federal public defender, deputy

federal public defender, or assistant federal public defender and

the spouse and child of the attorney or public defender;

(16) a current or former employee of the office of the

attorney general who is or was assigned to a division of that office

the duties of which involve law enforcement or are performed under

Chapter 231, Family Code;

(17) a medical examiner or person who performs

forensic analysis or testing who is employed by this state or one or

more political subdivisions of this state;

(18) a current or former member of the United States

armed forces who has served in an area that the president of the

United States by executive order designates for purposes of 26

U.S.C. Section 112 as an area in which armed forces of the United

States are or have engaged in combat;

(19) a current or former employee of the Texas

Juvenile Justice Department or of the predecessors in function of

the department;

(20) a current or former juvenile probation or

supervision officer certified by the Texas Juvenile Justice

Department, or the predecessors in function of the department,

under Title 12, Human Resources Code;

(21) a current or former employee of a juvenile

justice program or facility, as those terms are defined by Section

261.405, Family Code;

(22) a current or former employee of the Texas Civil

Commitment Office or the predecessor in function of the office or a

division of the office;

(23) a current or former employee of a federal judge or

state judge;

(24) a current or former child protective services

caseworker, adult protective services caseworker, or investigator

for the Department of Family and Protective Services or a current or

former employee of a department contractor performing child

protective services caseworker, adult protective services

caseworker, or investigator functions for the contractor on behalf

of the department;

(25) an elected public officer;

(26) a firefighter or volunteer firefighter or

emergency medical services personnel as defined by Section 773.003,

Health and Safety Code;

(27) a customs and border protection officer or border

patrol agent of United States Customs and Border Protection or the

spouse, surviving spouse, or adult child of a customs and border

protection officer or border patrol agent ;

(28) [ (27) a current or former attorney for the

Department of Family and Protective Services

[ (27) ] a current or former employee or contract staff

member of a university health care provider at a corrections

facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or

the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; [ and ]

(29) [ (28) ] a current or former attorney for the

Department of Family and Protective Services ; and

(30) an employee of a public defender's office as

defined by Article 26.044(a), Code of Criminal Procedure .

SECTION 2. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails

over another Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025,

relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted

codes.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.