Bonnen Texas House Move Stronger Border Safer Texas&" Bill Forward

Bonnen Longoria Thompson build Border Law Enforcement Resources crack down on Organized Crime AUSTIN Texas (Texas Insider Report) Crime that begins at the border rarely stays at the border. It finds its way into communities across Texas and the rest of the nation" said State Rep. and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton) earlier this week as he filed House Bill 11 the Stronger Border Safer Texas Act to help law enforcement stop border-related crime wherever it occurs.   Recognizing that the consequences of an unsecure border affect communities across Texas Rep. Oscar Longoria (D-Mission) filed House Bill 12 to strengthen the Border Prosecution Unit and Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) filed House Bill 10 to address human trafficking.

Human beings are exploited for profit and lives are ruined by drug addiction" said Bonnen (right.) The Stronger Border Safer Texas Act will permanently strengthen and enhance law enforcement resources along the border and throughout Texas impose tougher penalties against smugglers and create a new team of investigators to help police across the state" Bonnen said.

Key provisions of House Bill 11 which will be filed by Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) in the Texas Senate include:

1. Hiring of certified police officers at the DPS Trooper II level and authorizing 10 hour work days for DPS Troopers serving in the border region ending the current practice of periodically shifting officers from other parts of the state.
2. Creating a DPS Officer Reserve Corps of retired officers who will assist police statewide with background investigations sex offender compliance checks and other duties.
3. Imposing tougher penalties for smugglers and classifying human smuggling as organized crime.
4. Cutting the cartels supply lines with new southbound checkpoints within 250 yards of the border to curb the flow of stolen vehicles guns and money from being smuggled into Mexico.
5. Establishing a multi-agency border crime information center in the Rio Grande Valley led by local law enforcement with assistance from DPS.
6. Requiring law enforcement entities to adopt the National Incident Based Reporting System to ensure the uniformity of crime data throughout the state.

Additionally House Bill 12 by Rep. Longoria places the Border Prosecution Unit into statute to help local officials prosecute border related crime including drug smuggling murder kidnapping extortion money laundering and human trafficking.

The Border Prosecution Unit is vital in helping prosecutors screen cases secure indictments and bring accused criminals to trial" said Longoria. This bill will give our prosecutors the resources and support they need to ensure that those who enslave exploit and endanger others are put behind bars where they belong."

House Bill 10 by Rep. Thompson stems from legislative recommendations made by the Office of the Attorney Generals Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Forces December 2014 report. This bill strengthens many portions of Texas law including trafficking of persons compelling prostitution and compensation to victims of crime.  In addition it creates a Child Trafficking Prevention Unit which is modeled after one of the former Texas Governors Securing Texans initiatives. Those who traffic human beings sexually exploiting women and children are a scourge on Texas" said Rep. Thompson (at left). My bill provides serious penalties for human traffickers who degrade their fellow human beings."