Bill

HB 281

85(R) - 2017
House Criminal Jurisprudence
Senate Criminal Justice
Read Bill & Check Bill Status
House Criminal Jurisprudence
Senate Criminal Justice

Vote Recommendation

Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Donna Howard

Co-Author(s)

Carol Alvarado
Cesar Blanco
Terry Canales
Bobby Guerra
Ryan Guillen
Ina Minjarez
Victoria Neave
Eddie Rodriguez
Jonathan Stickland

Bill Caption

Relating to establishing a statewide electronic tracking system for evidence collection kits used to collect and preserve evidence of a sex offense.

Bill Analysis

This bill would mandate that certain types of evidence, related to sex crimes, be collected and tracked in order to help law enforcement during these type of investigations. The tracking system that would be created must allow a survivor to anonymously track or receive updates regarding the status and location of each item of evidence collected in relation to the offense.

Vote Recommendation Notes

The goal of this legislation is to help improve the handling of evidence from the perspective of protecting the integrity of the evidence, tracking it through the process, and keeping victims up to date. Whether or not this would help reduce the backlog of unprocessed rape kits is open to speculation. With no basis to determine whether or how this would substantively improve the current system, we remain neutral.