According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), SB 487 is not expected to have a significant fiscal impact on the State of Texas. The bill expands confidentiality protections to include identifying information of victims involved in certain offenses such as stalking, invasive visual recording, and indecent assault, as well as those part of the same criminal episode.

The assessment notes that any administrative or procedural adjustments required to implement the bill's provisions can be managed with existing resources available to state agencies, including the Office of Court Administration and the Department of Public Safety. Therefore, no new appropriations or additional staffing are anticipated.

Likewise, there are no significant fiscal implications projected for local governments. This suggests that county and municipal law enforcement or judicial systems would not experience measurable increases in workload or costs directly tied to the implementation of SB 487​.

SB 487 addresses a critical gap in victim protection under current Texas law by extending confidentiality provisions to individuals who have been subjected to invasive visual recording and indecent assault, in addition to those already covered for stalking. The bill also includes victims who are part of the same criminal episode as these offenses. This legislative change is designed to reduce the risk of ongoing harm, including harassment and retaliation, which can arise when identifying information is publicly accessible.

As highlighted in the bill analysis, the author notes that while victims of stalking already benefit from confidentiality protections under the Code of Criminal Procedure, those affected by invasive visual recording and indecent assault—despite facing similar threats to their privacy and safety—do not. SB 487 corrects this inconsistency and brings a uniform standard of victim confidentiality for these categories of personal and often traumatizing offenses.

The bill presents no significant fiscal impact to the state or local governments, with implementation costs expected to be absorbed through existing resources. It also does not grant new rulemaking authority, suggesting a limited and focused scope. In evaluating the legislation against the core liberty principles, SB 487 clearly supports Individual Liberty by safeguarding privacy and dignity, and Personal Responsibility by reinforcing the state’s duty to protect victims. It neither burdens Free Enterprise, nor infringes on Private Property Rights, and it aligns with the principle of Limited Government by applying a targeted fix without expanding state authority unnecessarily.

Given its protective intent, minimal fiscal footprint, and alignment with liberty-based principles, Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote YES on SB 487.

• HB 502 (Same As)