Motor-vehicle stop data panel narrows definitions, allows multi-select for contraband

The Motor Vehicle Stop Data Advisory Committee met April 8, 2026, and moved to finalize wording in a proposed data dictionary intended to standardize how Texas law-enforcement agencies report motor-vehicle stops. Members agreed to permit multiple contraband categories to be selected, clarified that passenger-only items should be excluded from driver records where appropriate, and asked staff to clean up definitions for a final review at the next meeting.

"I'd like to welcome everybody back for our fourth advisory committee meeting. I think we've made quite a bit of progress," the chair said as the session opened, calling on staff to lead the review. Melissa, a committee staff member who ran the line-by-line review, told the panel: "So today, what we'll do is go through the definitions as proposed and make any kind of wordsmith or content correction." Her presentation framed the session as a final pass to ensure clarity for agencies and records-management vendors.

The committee debated several operational items that affect reporting consistency. On contraband reporting, members noted that…