| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Positive | Positive |
Relating to information regarding the procedures and available resources for the sealing of juvenile records.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 2027 would require, when a child is transferred to the juvenile probation department, an employee to give the child and their parent a written explanation describing the process of sealing records and a list of local resources that may assist the child in applying to have the child’s records sealed, including attorneys who, at low or no cost, represent persons in applying for the sealing of juvenile records. The employee would be required to provide an oral explanation of the process of sealing records to the child and their parents and allow any of those persons to ask questions regarding the process.
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department would also be required to publish a brochure on their website that describes the
process of sealing records and that lists
resources that may assist a child in applying to seal the child’s
records.
Texas Action supports HB 2027 as it advances the principles of limited government and individual liberty. Although the bill places an administrative burden on the juvenile probation department this is outweighed by the positives of child offenders having full knowledge of getting their records sealed in the future. This will give them a better chance at obtaining gainful employment as an adult which is correlated with lower recidivism rates, which in turn saves the state money.