bill to standardize police incident data reporting

The text as introduced · 497 words

90R4627 JCG-F

By: Ward Johnson
H.B. No. 365

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the collection of certain incident-based data reported

to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

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

SECTION 1. Section 1701.164, Occupations Code, is amended

to read as follows:

Sec. 1701.164. COLLECTION OF CERTAIN INCIDENT-BASED DATA

SUBMITTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. (a) The commission shall

collect and maintain incident-based data submitted to the

commission under Article 2B.0055, Code of Criminal Procedure,

including incident-based data compiled by a law enforcement agency

from reports received by the law enforcement agency under Article

2B.0054 of that code.

(b) The commission in consultation with the Department of

Public Safety, the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management

Institute of Texas, the W. W. Caruth, Jr., Police Institute at

Dallas, and the Texas Police Chiefs Association shall develop :

(1) guidelines for submitting in a standard format the

report containing incident-based data as required by Article

2B.0055, Code of Criminal Procedure ; and

(2) policies to ensure the quality and accuracy of the

data in a report described by Subdivision (1) .

(c) Not later than January 1 of every odd-numbered year, the

commission shall review, and revise as necessary, the guidelines

and policies required under Subsection (b) to ensure that the

incident-based data described by Subsection (a) is of the quality

necessary to enable academic research and reporting based on the

data.

(d) The commission shall make available on the commission's

publicly accessible Internet website:

(1) other than any information that is not subject to

disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, the incident-based

data described by Subsection (a) in a format that enables the public

to obtain an electronic copy and readily access the information;

and

(2) a glossary of terms relating to the incident-based

data described by Subsection (a) that assists the public in

understanding the data.

SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is

amended by adding Section 1701.1645 to read as follows:

Sec. 1701.1645. STUDY ON IMPROVED COLLECTION OF

INCIDENT-BASED DATA. (a) The commission shall conduct a study on

the incident-based data described by Section 1701.164(a) and, based

on the findings of that study, make recommendations regarding:

(1) improving the quality of the incident-based data

collected under Article 2B.0054, Code of Criminal Procedure;

(2) reducing any redundant reporting or regulatory

requirements; and

(3) the feasibility of:

(A) collecting and reporting data not subject to

Article 2B.0054, Code of Criminal Procedure, regarding encounters

between peace officers and members of the public, including each

detention by a peace officer of a pedestrian; and

(B) collecting sufficient data to support a

multivariate analysis.

(b) Not later than January 1, 2029, the commission shall

report the study's findings and recommendations under Subsection

(a) to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the

house of representatives, and each member of the legislature.

(c) This section expires September 1, 2029.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.