Crime Stoppers is covered by Texas Legislature H.B. #1681, effective September 1, 1981, which sets out a penalty for misuse of report information. The portion of H.B. #1681 is as follows:

Penalty for Misuse of Report Information

Sec. 10.	(a) A member or employee of the council or a person who accepts reports of criminal activity on behalf of a local Crime Stoppers program commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly divulges to a person not employed by a law enforcement agency the content of the report of criminal activity or the identity of the person who made the report.
	(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
	(c) A person convicted of an offense under this section is not eligible for state employment for a period of five years following the date the conviction becomes final.

Privileged Information

Sec. 11.	(a) Evidence of a communication between a person submitting a report of criminal activity to the council or a local Crime Stoppers program and the person who accepted the report on behalf of the council or the local Crime Stoppers program is not admissible in a court or administrative proceeding.
	(b) Records of the council or a local Crime Stoppers program concerning reports of criminal activity may not be compelled to be produced before a court or other tribunal except on the order of the Supreme Court.

Areas Covered by Crime Stoppers

A. Crime Stoppers will deal primarily with unsolved felony and misdemeanor crimes.

B. Under certain circumstances as determined by the Reward Assessment Committee and approved by the Executive Committee where the purpose of Crime Stoppers may best be served by so doing, the program may pay rewards to informants who work directly with detective(s).

C. Under certain circumstances as determined by the Reward Assessment Committee and approved by the Executive Committee where the purpose of Crime Stoppers may best be served by so doing, the program may pay rewards to informants where no arrest nor filing of charges has occurred.

Eligibility for Rewards

A. Any person, except as restricted below, who directly contacts Crime Stoppers and gives information which leads to the arrest of and charges filed (or equivalent) on an adult or juvenile or the arrest of a fugitive wanted in a felony case will be eligible for a reward.

B. Under unique circumstances where the purpose of Crime Stoppers may best be served by so doing, a reward may be approved by the Reward Assessment Committee or the Executive Committee and paid to an informant prior to the arrest, indictment, or apprehension, based upon the specific, detailed request of the Police Coordinator.

C. Under unique circumstances where the purpose of Crime Stoppers may best be served by so doing, a reward may be approved by the Reward Assessment Committee or the Executive Committee and paid to an informant prior to the regular payment date, based upon the specific, detailed request of the Police Coordinator.

D. Under unique circumstances where the purpose of Crime Stoppers may best be served by so doing, a reward may be approved by the Reward Assessment Committee or the Executive Committee for an informant giving information directly to a detective. For example, the informant has been able to reach the Crime Stoppers Detail either in person or by a message and the information is of such immediacy that contact has to be made directly with a detective. The informant, however, must notify the detective that an attempt has been made to reach Crime Stoppers.

E. Under unique circumstances where the purpose of Crime Stoppers may best be served by so doing, a reward may be approved by the Reward Assessment Committee or the Executive Committee for an informant where no arrest nor filing of charges has occurred:

1.	If the informant is instrumental in the recovery of property valued at $25,000 or more;
2.	If the informant is instrumental in the recovery of illegal narcotics with a street value of $25,000 or more;
3.	If the informant is working with officers on more than one case and the information given on the case for which the reward is requested results in the solution of a felony crime in which the district attorney feels there is not sufficient evidence to warrant an arrest and charges filed, payment will be made based upon the specific, detailed request of the Police Coordinator.

F. The following persons will not be eligible for a reward:

1.	A commissioned law enforcement officer and/or members of his immediate family;
2.	The perpetrator or the co-perpetrator of the crime;
3.	The victim of the crime and/or members of his immediate family;
4.	The fugitive.

G. If more than one person furnishes information about the same crime or fugitive, as set forth in "A" above, the reward money shall be divided as the Reward Assessment Committee/Executive Committee/Board of Directors may determine, based primarily upon the relative importance of the informant's information.

Amount of Rewards

A. A maximum reward of $1,000 will be paid for each "solved" felony crime or arrested fugitive. There is no specified minimum reward.

B. In special instances the maximum reward could be increased, based on the specific and detailed request of the Police Coordinator approved by the Reward Assessment.

C. The amount in each case shall be determined by the Reward Assessment Committee and approved by the Executive Committee/Board of Directors. The nature of the crime, the risk of the informant, and the importance of the informant as a regular source, all as detailed by the Police Coordinator.