AN ACT
relating to the
prevention of racial profiling by certain peace officers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 2, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding
Articles 2.131 through 2.138 to read as follows:
Art. 2.131. RACIAL PROFILING PROHIBITED. A peace officer may not
engage in racial profiling.
Art. 2.132. LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICY ON RACIAL PROFILING. (a) In
this article:
(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency
of the state, or of a county, municipality, or other political
subdivision of the state, that employs peace officers who make traffic
stops in the routine performance of the officers' official duties.
(2) "Race or ethnicity" means of a
particular descent, including Caucasian, African, Hispanic, Asian, or
Native American descent.
(b) Each law enforcement agency in this state shall adopt a detailed
written policy on racial profiling. The policy must:
(1) clearly define acts constituting racial
profiling;
(2) strictly prohibit peace officers
employed by the agency from engaging in racial profiling;
(3) implement a process by which an
individual may file a complaint with the agency if the individual
believes that a peace officer employed by the agency has engaged in
racial profiling with respect to the individual;
(4) provide public education relating to the
agency's complaint process;
(5) require appropriate corrective action to
be taken against a peace officer employed by the agency who, after an
investigation, is shown to have engaged in racial profiling in violation
of the agency's policy adopted under this article;
(6) require collection of information
relating to traffic stops in which a citation is issued and to arrests
resulting from those traffic stops, including information relating to:
(A) the race or
ethnicity of the individual detained; and
(B) whether a search
was conducted and, if so, whether the person detained consented to the
search; and
(7) require the agency to submit to the
governing body of each county or municipality served by the agency an
annual report of the information collected under Subdivision (6) if the
agency is an agency of a county, municipality, or other political
subdivision of the state.
(c) The data collected as a result of the reporting requirements of
this article shall not constitute prima facie evidence of racial
profiling.
(d) On adoption of a policy under Subsection (b), a law enforcement
agency shall examine the feasibility of installing video camera and
transmitteractivated equipment in each agency law enforcement motor
vehicle regularly used to make traffic stops and transmitteractivated
equipment in each agency law enforcement motorcycle regularly used to
make traffic stops. If a law enforcement agency installs video or audio
equipment as provided by this subsection, the policy adopted by the
agency under Subsection (b) must include standards for reviewing video
and audio documentation.
(e) A report required under Subsection (b)(7) may not include
identifying information about a peace officer who makes a traffic stop
or about an individual who is stopped or arrested by a peace officer.
This subsection does not affect the collection of information as
required by a policy under Subsection (b)(6).
(f) On the commencement of an investigation by a law enforcement
agency of a complaint described by Subsection (b)(3) in which a video or
audio recording of the occurrence on which the complaint is based was
made, the agency shall promptly provide a copy of the recording to the
peace officer who is the subject of the complaint on written request by
the officer.
Art. 2.133. REPORTS REQUIRED FOR TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN STOPS.
(a) In this article:
(1) "Race or ethnicity" has the meaning
assigned by Article 2.132(a).
(2) "Pedestrian stop" means an interaction
between a peace officer and an individual who is being detained for the
purpose of a criminal investigation in which the individual is not under
arrest.
(b) A peace officer who stops a motor vehicle for an alleged
violation of a law or ordinance regulating traffic or who stops a
pedestrian for any suspected offense shall report to the law enforcement
agency that employs the officer information relating to the stop,
including:
(1) a physical description of each person
detained as a result of the stop, including:
(A) the person's
gender; and
(B) the person's
race or ethnicity, as stated by the person or, if the person does not
state the person's race or ethnicity, as determined by the officer to
the best of the officer's ability;
(2) the traffic law or ordinance alleged to
have been violated or the suspected offense;
(3) whether the officer conducted a search
as a result of the stop and, if so, whether the person detained
consented to the search;
(4) whether any contraband was discovered in
the course of the search and the type of contraband discovered;
(5) whether probable cause to search existed
and the facts supporting the existence of that probable cause;
(6) whether the officer made an arrest as a
result of the stop or the search, including a statement of the offense
charged;
(7) the street address or approximate
location of the stop; and
(8) whether the officer issued a warning or
a citation as a result of the stop, including a description of the
warning or a statement of the violation charged.
Art. 2.134. COMPILATION AND ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION COLLECTED.
(a) In this article, "pedestrian stop" means an interaction between a
peace officer and an individual who is being detained for the purpose of
a criminal investigation in which the individual is not under arrest.
(b) A law enforcement agency shall compile and analyze the
information contained in each report received by the agency under
Article 2.133. Not later than March 1 of each year, each local law
enforcement agency shall submit a report containing the information
compiled during the previous calendar year to the governing body of each
county or municipality served by the agency in a manner approved by the
agency.
(c) A report required under Subsection (b) must include:
(1) a comparative analysis of the
information compiled under Article 2.133 to:
(A) determine the
prevalence of racial profiling by peace officers employed by the agency;
and
(B) examine the
disposition of traffic and pedestrian stops made by officers employed by
the agency, including searches resulting from the stops; and
(2) information relating to each complaint
filed with the agency alleging that a peace officer employed by the
agency has engaged in racial profiling.
(d) A report required under Subsection (b) may not include
identifying information about a peace officer who makes a traffic or
pedestrian stop or about an individual who is stopped or arrested by a
peace officer. This subsection does not affect the reporting of
information required under Article 2.133(b)(1).
(e) The Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and
Education shall develop guidelines for compiling and reporting
information as required by this article.
(f) The data collected as a result of the reporting requirements of
this article shall not constitute prima facie evidence of racial
profiling.
Art. 2.135. EXEMPTION FOR AGENCIES USING VIDEO AND AUDIO EQUIPMENT.
(a) A peace officer is exempt from the reporting requirement under
Article 2.133 and a law enforcement agency is exempt from the
compilation, analysis, and reporting requirements under Article 2.134
if:
(1) during the calendar year preceding the
date that a report under Article 2.134 is required to be submitted:
(A) each law
enforcement motor vehicle regularly used by an officer employed by the
agency to make traffic and pedestrian stops is equipped with video
camera and transmitteractivated equipment and each law enforcement
motorcycle regularly used to make traffic and pedestrian stops is
equipped with transmitteractivated equipment; and
(B) each traffic and
pedestrian stop made by an officer employed by the agency that is
capable of being recorded by video and audio or audio equipment, as
appropriate, is recorded by using the equipment; or
(2) the governing body of the county or
municipality served by the law enforcement agency, in conjunction with
the law enforcement agency, certifies to the Department of Public
Safety, not later than the date specified by rule by the department,
that the law enforcement agency needs funds or video and audio equipment
for the purpose of installing video and audio equipment as described by
Subsection (a)(1)(A) and the agency does not receive from the state
funds or video and audio equipment sufficient, as determined by the
department, for the agency to accomplish that purpose.
(b) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, a law
enforcement agency that is exempt from the requirements under Article
2.134 shall retain the video and audio or audio documentation of each
traffic and pedestrian stop for at least 90 days after the date of the
stop. If a complaint is filed with the law enforcement agency alleging
that a peace officer employed by the agency has engaged in racial
profiling with respect to a traffic or pedestrian stop, the agency shall
retain the video and audio or audio record of the stop until final
disposition of the complaint.
(c) This article does not affect the collection or reporting
requirements under Article 2.132.
Art. 2.136. LIABILITY. A peace officer is not liable for damages
arising from an act relating to the collection or reporting of
information as required by Article 2.133 or under a policy adopted under
Article 2.132.
Art. 2.137. PROVISION OF FUNDING OR EQUIPMENT. (a) The Department
of Public Safety shall adopt rules for providing funds or video and
audio equipment to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of
installing video and audio equipment as described by Article
2.135(a)(1)(A), including specifying criteria to prioritize funding or
equipment provided to law enforcement agencies. The criteria may
include consideration of tax effort, financial hardship, available
revenue, and budget surpluses. The criteria must give priority to:
(1) law enforcement agencies that employ
peace officers whose primary duty is traffic enforcement;
(2) smaller jurisdictions; and
(3) municipal and county law enforcement
agencies.
(b) The Department of Public Safety shall collaborate with an
institution of higher education to identify law enforcement agencies
that need funds or video and audio equipment for the purpose of
installing video and audio equipment as described by Article
2.135(a)(1)(A). The collaboration may include the use of a survey to
assist in developing criteria to prioritize funding or equipment
provided to law enforcement agencies.
(c) To receive funds or video and audio equipment from the state for
the purpose of installing video and audio equipment as described by
Article 2.135(a)(1)(A), the governing body of a county or municipality,
in conjunction with the law enforcement agency serving the county or
municipality, shall certify to the Department of Public Safety that the
law enforcement agency needs funds or video and audio equipment for that
purpose.
(d) On receipt of funds or video and audio equipment from the state
for the purpose of installing video and audio equipment as described by
Article 2.135(a)(1)(A), the governing body of a county or municipality,
in conjunction with the law enforcement agency serving the county or
municipality, shall certify to the Department of Public Safety that the
law enforcement agency has installed video and audio equipment as
described by Article 2.135(a)(1)(A) and is using the equipment as
required by Article 2.135(a)(1).
Art. 2.138. RULES. The Department of Public Safety may adopt rules
to implement Articles 2.1312.137.
SECTION 2. Chapter 3, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding
Article 3.05 to read as follows:
Art. 3.05. RACIAL PROFILING. In this code, "racial profiling" means
a law enforcementinitiated action based on an individual's race,
ethnicity, or national origin rather than on the individual's behavior
or on information identifying the individual as having engaged in
criminal activity.
SECTION 3. Section 96.641, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (j) to read as follows:
(j) As part of the initial training and continuing education for
police chiefs required under this section, the institute shall establish
a program on racial profiling. The program must include an examination
of the best practices for:
(1) monitoring peace officers' compliance
with laws and internal agency policies relating to racial profiling;
(2) implementing laws and internal agency
policies relating to preventing racial profiling; and
(3) analyzing and reporting collected
information.
SECTION 4. Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(e) As part of the minimum curriculum requirements, the commission
shall establish a statewide comprehensive education and training program
on racial profiling for officers licensed under this chapter. An
officer shall complete a program established under this subsection not
later than the second anniversary of the date the officer is licensed
under this chapter or the date the officer applies for an intermediate
proficiency certificate, whichever date is earlier.
SECTION 5. Section 1701.402, Occupations Code, is amended by adding
Subsection (d) to read as follows:
(d) As a requirement for an intermediate proficiency certificate, an
officer must complete an education and training program on racial
profiling established by the commission under Section 1701.253(e).
SECTION 6. Section 543.202, Transportation Code, is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 543.202. FORM OF RECORD. (a) In this section, "race or
ethnicity" means of a particular descent, including Caucasian, African,
Hispanic, Asian, or Native American descent.
(b) The record must be made on a form or by a data processing
method acceptable to the department and must include:
(1) the name, address, physical description,
including race or ethnicity, date of birth, and driver's license
number of the person charged;
(2) the registration number of the vehicle
involved;
(3) whether the vehicle was a commercial motor
vehicle as defined by Chapter 522 or was involved in transporting
hazardous materials;
(4) the person's social security number, if the
person was operating a commercial motor vehicle or was the holder of a
commercial driver's license or commercial driver learner's permit;
(5) the date and nature of the offense,
including whether the offense was a serious traffic violation as defined
by Chapter 522;
(6) whether a search of the vehicle was
conducted and whether consent for the search was obtained;
(7) the plea, the judgment, and whether
bail was forfeited;
(8) [(7)] the date of conviction;
and
(9) [(8)] the amount of the fine
or forfeiture.
SECTION 7. Not later than January 1, 2002, a law enforcement agency
shall adopt and implement a policy and begin collecting information
under the policy as required by Article 2.132, Code of Criminal
Procedure, as added by this Act. A local law enforcement agency shall
first submit information to the governing body of each county or
municipality served by the agency as required by Article 2.132, Code of
Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act, on March 1, 2003. The first
submission of information shall consist of information compiled by the
agency during the period beginning January 1, 2002, and ending December
31, 2002.
SECTION 8. A local law enforcement agency shall first submit
information to the governing body of each county or municipality served
by the agency as required by Article 2.134, Code of Criminal Procedure,
as added by this Act, on March 1, 2004. The first submission of
information shall consist of information compiled by the agency during
the period beginning January 1, 2003, and ending December 31, 2003.
SECTION 9. Not later than January 1, 2002:
(1) the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Education shall establish an education and training
program on racial profiling as required by Subsection (e), Section
1701.253, Occupations Code, as added by this Act; and
(2) the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement
Management Institute of Texas shall establish a program on racial
profiling as required by Subsection (j), Section 96.641, Education Code,
as added by this Act.
SECTION 10. A person who on the effective date of this Act holds an
intermediate proficiency certificate issued by the Commission on Law
Enforcement Officer Standards and Education or has held a peace officer
license issued by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards
and Education for at least two years shall complete an education and
training program on racial profiling established under Subsection (e),
Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, as added by this Act, not later than
September 1, 2003.
SECTION 11. An individual appointed or elected as a police chief before
the effective date of this Act shall complete a program on racial
profiling established under Subsection (j), Section 96.641, Education
Code, as added by this Act, not later than September 1, 2003.