CRIME/LAW ENFORCEMENT

HB 30 increases the transparency of the state’s public records law by closing the “dead suspect” loophole. According to reporting by The Texas Tribune, “the bill would close a long-standing loophole in the law that government agencies have used to withhold information in situations in which suspects die in police custody, are killed by law enforcement or kill themselves.” The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.