Texas House bill by Rep. Fairly requires law enforcement to submit reports to attorney general

Newly passed bill authored by State Rep. Caroline Fairly aims to ensure timely submission of law enforcement reports to the attorney general, seeking to support the evaluation of eligibility for crime victims’ compensation awards, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 51 Democrats and 77 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Caroline Fairly introduced the bill in the Texas House on Monday, Feb. 3, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Fairly graduated from Abilene Christian University with a BA.

Fairly, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 87th House district, replacing previous state representative Four Price.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the disclosure or release of certain information received by the attorney general regarding an application for compensation from the crime victims’ compensation fund’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends Article 56B.054(f) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure by requiring law enforcement agencies to provide the attorney general with all relevant reports, including witness statements and criminal history record information, within 14 business days of a request. This information is to be used by the attorney general to assess the eligibility and extent of qualification for crime victims’ compensation awards. The bill stipulates that information received by the attorney general under this provision is not subject to disclosure under Texas Government Code Chapter 552. The bill is set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 23, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.