Bill Text: TX HB1839 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the iWatchTexas community reporting system administered by the Department of Public Safety and a monetary reward program for certain information on suspicious or criminal activity reported through that system; creating criminal offenses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-14 - Filed [HB1839 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB1839-Introduced.html
| 89R884 MEW-F | ||
| By: Guillen | H.B. No. 1839 | |
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| relating to the iWatchTexas community reporting system | ||
| administered by the Department of Public Safety and a monetary | ||
| reward program for certain information on suspicious or criminal | ||
| activity reported through that system; creating criminal offenses. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Chapter 415 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 415. IWATCHTEXAS COMMUNITY REPORTING SYSTEM | ||
| SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS | ||
| Sec. 415.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "department" | ||
| means the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas. | ||
| Sec. 415.002. IWATCHTEXAS COMMUNITY REPORTING SYSTEM. The | ||
| iWatchTexas community reporting system is a statewide suspicious | ||
| activity reporting network administered by the department to | ||
| receive, process, document, analyze, and share reports of | ||
| suspicious activity or behavior that may indicate a criminal, | ||
| terroristic, or school safety-related threat. | ||
| SUBCHAPTER B. ADMINISTRATION OF IWATCHTEXAS COMMUNITY REPORTING | ||
| SYSTEM | ||
| Sec. 415.051. DUTIES OF DEPARTMENT. The department shall: | ||
| (1) administer and maintain the iWatchTexas community | ||
| reporting system as provided by this chapter in a manner that allows | ||
| any person to submit a report; and | ||
| (2) forward credible information submitted through | ||
| the system to the appropriate local law enforcement agency or | ||
| attorney representing the state for investigation and prosecution. | ||
| Sec. 415.052. CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS. A record | ||
| relating to a report made to the iWatchTexas community reporting | ||
| system is confidential and is not subject to disclosure under | ||
| Chapter 552. | ||
| SUBCHAPTER C. MONETARY REWARD PROGRAM | ||
| Sec. 415.101. MONETARY REWARD PROGRAM. (a) The department | ||
| shall establish and administer a program to provide a monetary | ||
| reward to a person who submits a report to the iWatchTexas community | ||
| reporting system that: | ||
| (1) includes actionable information regarding a | ||
| criminal, terroristic, or school safety-related threat; and | ||
| (2) the department determines directly leads to the | ||
| arrest of a person engaging in organized criminal activity as | ||
| described by Section 71.02, Penal Code, or terrorism as described | ||
| by Section 76.02, Penal Code. | ||
| (b) The department shall set the amount of a reward provided | ||
| under the program established under this subchapter based on the | ||
| severity of the alleged offense reported and the usefulness of the | ||
| information provided, as determined by the department. | ||
| Sec. 415.102. FUNDING OF MONETARY REWARD PROGRAM. The | ||
| department may use any available revenue, including legislative | ||
| appropriations, and may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and | ||
| donations from a public or private source for purposes of | ||
| administering the monetary reward program established under this | ||
| subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 415.103. RULES. The department may adopt rules as | ||
| necessary for the implementation of the monetary reward program | ||
| established under this subchapter. | ||
| SUBCHAPTER D. OFFENSES AND PENALTIES | ||
| Sec. 415.151. FALSE REPORT TO OBTAIN MONETARY REWARD. (a) | ||
| A person commits an offense if, with the intent to obtain a monetary | ||
| reward under the monetary reward program established under | ||
| Subchapter C, the person knowingly reports false information | ||
| through the iWatchTexas community reporting system. | ||
| (b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor. | ||
| (c) If conduct constituting an offense under this section | ||
| also constitutes an offense under Section 37.08, Penal Code, the | ||
| actor may be prosecuted under either section but not both. | ||
| Sec. 415.152. PROHIBITED DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL | ||
| INFORMATION. (a) Unless the disclosure is required by court order | ||
| or otherwise required or authorized by law, a person commits an | ||
| offense if the person knowingly discloses the identity of or other | ||
| identifying information concerning a person who reported | ||
| information through the iWatchTexas community reporting system | ||
| without the consent of the reporting person. | ||
| (b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, | ||
| except that an offense under this section is a felony of the third | ||
| degree if the offense is committed with the intent to obtain a | ||
| monetary gain or other benefit. | ||
| Sec. 415.153. INELIGIBILITY FOR STATE EMPLOYMENT. A person | ||
| convicted of an offense under Section 415.152 is not eligible for | ||
| state employment during the five-year period following the date the | ||
| conviction becomes final. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
