According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), HB 502 is not expected to have a significant fiscal impact on the State of Texas. The bill's provisions, which expand confidentiality protections for victims of certain offenses, can be implemented using existing resources within the responsible state agencies. These include the Office of Court Administration and the Department of Public Safety, both of which are equipped to handle the adjustments without requiring additional appropriations or staffing increases.
Similarly, the bill is not projected to impose any significant fiscal burden on local governments. The anticipated procedural updates—likely involving law enforcement, court clerks, or prosecutorial offices—are considered manageable under current operational frameworks. Local jurisdictions already engaged in safeguarding victim identities for related crimes are presumed to have the infrastructure and protocols in place to absorb the changes proposed in HB 502.
Overall, the fiscal implications of the bill are minimal, with no expected need for new funding, infrastructure, or staffing. The legislative intent is to extend existing victim confidentiality protections to a broader but still narrowly defined group, minimizing fiscal complexity while maximizing privacy benefits.
HB 502 makes a targeted yet meaningful amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure by extending confidentiality protections and pseudonym eligibility to victims of invasive visual recording and indecent assault—offenses of an intensely personal nature that can cause lasting psychological harm. Currently, victims of these crimes are not permitted to use pseudonyms in legal records, even though victims of similar offenses such as sexual assault or stalking already benefit from such provisions. This disparity in the law has been shown to cause additional emotional distress and deter victims from cooperating in prosecutions, as exemplified by a recent case out of Travis County involving a woman secretly filmed at work while pumping breast milk.
By allowing these victims the option to protect their identities, HB 502 not only ensures more equitable treatment under the law but also promotes increased participation in the criminal justice system. This directly advances the principle of individual liberty, as it enhances the right to privacy and personal security for victims navigating public legal proceedings. It also aligns with limited government principles, as it makes efficient use of existing procedural frameworks without expanding governmental power or cost—confirmed by the Legislative Budget Board's finding of no significant fiscal impact.
HB 502 is a clear, well-justified measure that corrects an oversight in current law and serves public safety, justice, and liberty without fiscal or administrative burden. As such, Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote YES on HB 502.