Bill: HB 133, 83(R) - 2013

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
No Neutral Neutral Neutral Negative Neutral

Author(s)

Richard Raymond

Bill Caption

Relating to the dissemination of criminal history record information by the Department of Public Safety concerning certain intoxication offenses.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication is anticipated on the State or local governments.

Bill Analysis

Summary: HB 133 would allow the details of an individual's conviction of intoxication manslaughter to be public information. Additionally, this bill would create a database containing the aforementioned public information such as name, address, and a photograph of individuals convicted of intoxication manslaughter. This bill would only make this information available for a ten year period.

Analysis: We agree that intoxication manslaughter is a heinous offense. However, HB 133 expands the size and scope of government by creating a new database for intoxication manslaughter offenders. When an individual gets out of jail, this should signal that the debt has been paid, and the individual should be allowed to reintegrate into society. Creating a new database would blacklist this individual and hamper the individual's attempt to start a new life. If legislators believe these individuals should pay a higher price for their crime, they should consider increasing the length of incarceration rather than subjecting them to a public registry after incarceration that will make it next to impossible for them to find gainful employment. We recommend voting NO on HB 133.


Source URL (retrieved on 03/29/2024 07:03 AM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/83r/hb133?print_view=true