BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 64
88R2998 SRA-D	By: Landgraf (Sparks)
	Criminal Justice
	5/17/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, the Ector County Hospital District Police Department (serving the Medical Center Health System in Odessa) is not statutorily authorized to conduct police escorts. However, escorts provided by officers at this department are sometimes needed for reasons like patient transfers. Additionally, officers may sometimes need to escort people to or from the local hospitals and the surrounding areas for reasons including funerals and oversized or hazardous material transportation.

The Ector County Police Department, which is currently short-staffed, is unable to assist with all of the hospital district�s needs. Accordingly, H.B. 64 adds officers commissioned by the Ector County Hospital District's board of directors to the list of peace officers statutorily authorized to conduct certain police escorts.

H.B. 64 amends current law relating to the peace officers authorized to operate an authorized emergency vehicle used to conduct a police escort.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 546.002(a), Transportation Code, as follows:

(a) Provides that �"police escort" in Section 546.002 (When Conduct Permissible) means facilitating the movement of a funeral, oversized or hazardous load, or other traffic disruption for public safety purposes by a peace officer described by certain articles, including Article 2.12(17)(B) (relating to providing that officers commissioned by the board of directors of the Ector County Hospital District are peace officers), Code of Criminal Procedure.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2023. �