This website will be unavailable from Friday, April 26, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. due to data center maintenance.

 
 
  H.B. No. 1728
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the authority of the inspector general of the Texas
  Department of Criminal Justice to issue administrative subpoenas
  for certain communications records.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Section 493.0191 to read as follows:
         Sec. 493.0191.  ADMINISTRATIVE SUBPOENAS. (a) The
  inspector general may issue an administrative subpoena to a
  communications common carrier or an electronic communications
  service provider to compel the production of the carrier's or
  service provider's business records that:
               (1)  disclose information about:
                     (A)  the carrier's or service provider's
  customers; or
                     (B)  users of the services offered by the carrier
  or service provider; and
               (2)  are material to a criminal investigation of an
  escape or a potential escape or a violation of Section 38.11, Penal
  Code.
         (b)  In this section:
               (1)  "Communications common carrier" means a person
  that:
                     (A)  for a fee, provides directly to the public or
  to certain members of the public the ability to transmit between or
  among points specified by the person who uses that ability,
  regardless of the technology used, information of the person's
  choosing without change in the form or content of the information
  transmitted; or
                     (B)  a provider that bills customers for services
  described by Paragraph (A).
               (2)  "Electronic communications service provider"
  means a service provider that provides to users of the service the
  ability to send or receive wire or electronic communications, as
  those terms are defined by Article 18.20, Code of Criminal
  Procedure.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1728 was passed by the House on April
  24, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1728 was passed by the Senate on May
  21, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor