| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
Summary: Texas law enforcement currently uses the established national crime information center database for reporting missing children, but a single unified process to allow law enforcement in different jurisdictions to submit reports exists. SB 742 would include information on attempted child abductions by non-relatives in the information clearinghouse operated by the Department of Public Safety. SB 742 would require missing persons report forms to be in a similar format to the national database forms. SB 742 would mandate that the DPS director create procedures for local law enforcement agencies that receive a missing child report. SB 742 would allow the DPS to provide grants to nonprofits that relate to child abductions. SB 742 would require police officers to complete a training course on missing children to receive a intermediate or advanced proficiency certificate.
Analysis: SB 742 seeks to make Texas law enforcement response to missing persons reports more streamlined and uniform across jurisdictions. This legislation also seeks to ensure that higher ranking officers are appropriately trained to handle cases of missing children. While the goals of this legislation are laudable, this bill does not fall under any of our liberty principles. We remain neutral.