| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
Relating to the Texas Crime Stoppers Council.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 3316 would expand the types of tips that can be reported to campus crime stoppers programs, and involve public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in the reporting process.
More specifically, this bill would allow the Texas Crime Stoppers Council to accept tips submitted by any person regarding: (1) criminal activity; (2) conduct or threatened conduct that constitutes a danger to public safety or an individual; or (3) conduct or threatened conduct that would disrupt the efficient and effective operations of a school district or open-enrollment charter school. The council would be required to foster the detection of crime and encourage persons to submit tips; encourage news and other media to inform the public of its functions; promote the process of the organization to forward information from tips to appropriate law enforcement agencies, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools; and create specialized programs targeted at detecting specific crimes, among other things.
A record relating to a received tip, including the identity of the person who submitted the tip, would be confidential and not subject to disclosure under the Public Information Act.
Finally, this bill would require the council to establish a free statewide telephone service and other appropriate systems to allow tips to be submitted and to make the telephone service and other reporting systems available at all times.
Texas Action remains neutral on HB 3316 because it does not promote or violate any of our principles.