By: Chisum H.B. No. 297
73R2428 NSC-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to commissioning investigators of the Railroad Commission
1-3 of Texas as peace officers.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Natural Resources Code,
1-6 is amended by adding Section 81.021 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 81.021. INVESTIGATORS AS PEACE OFFICERS. (a) The
1-8 commission may commission investigators as peace officers to
1-9 investigate oil field thefts and related matters. Not more than 11
1-10 investigators may hold a commission under this section at the same
1-11 time.
1-12 (b) An investigator may not be commissioned as a peace
1-13 officer under this section unless the investigator meets all
1-14 standards for certification as a peace officer by the Commission on
1-15 Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.
1-16 SECTION 2. Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-17 amended to read as follows:
1-18 Art. 2.12. WHO ARE PEACE OFFICERS. The following are peace
1-19 officers:
1-20 (1) sheriffs and their deputies;
1-21 (2) constables and deputy constables;
1-22 (3) marshals or police officers of an incorporated
1-23 city, town, or village;
1-24 (4) rangers and officers commissioned by the Public
2-1 Safety Commission and the Director of the Department of Public
2-2 Safety;
2-3 (5) investigators of the district attorneys', criminal
2-4 district attorneys', and county attorneys' offices;
2-5 (6) law enforcement agents of the Texas Alcoholic
2-6 Beverage Commission;
2-7 (7) each member of an arson investigating unit
2-8 commissioned by a city, a county, or the state;
2-9 (8) officers commissioned under Subchapter E, Chapter
2-10 51, Education Code;
2-11 (9) officers commissioned by the State Purchasing and
2-12 General Services Commission;
2-13 (10) law enforcement officers commissioned by the
2-14 Parks and Wildlife Commission;
2-15 (11) airport police officers commissioned by a city
2-16 with a population of more than one million, according to the most
2-17 recent federal census, that operates an airport that serves
2-18 commercial air carriers;
2-19 (12) airport security personnel commissioned as peace
2-20 officers by the governing body of any political subdivision of this
2-21 state, other than a city described by Subdivision (11), that
2-22 operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers;
2-23 (13) municipal park and recreational patrolmen and
2-24 security officers;
2-25 (14) security officers commissioned as peace officers
2-26 by the State Treasurer;
2-27 (15) officers commissioned by a water control and
3-1 improvement district under Section 51.132, Water Code;
3-2 (16) officers commissioned by a board of trustees
3-3 under Chapter 341, Acts of the 57th Legislature, Regular Session,
3-4 1961 (Article 1187f, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
3-5 (17) investigators commissioned by the Texas State
3-6 Board of Medical Examiners;
3-7 (18) officers commissioned by the board of managers of
3-8 the Dallas County Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital
3-9 District, or the Bexar County Hospital District under
3-10 Section 281.057, Health and Safety Code;
3-11 (19) county park rangers commissioned under Subchapter
3-12 E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
3-13 (20) investigators employed by the Texas Racing
3-14 Commission;
3-15 (21) officers commissioned by the State Board of
3-16 Pharmacy;
3-17 (22) officers commissioned by the governing body of a
3-18 metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 13, Chapter 141,
3-19 Acts of the 63rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1973 (Article 1118x,
3-20 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), or by a regional transportation
3-21 authority under Section 10, Chapter 683, Acts of the 66th
3-22 Legislature, Regular Session, 1979 (Article 1118y, Vernon's Texas
3-23 Civil Statutes);
3-24 (23) officers commissioned by the Texas High-Speed
3-25 Rail Authority;
3-26 (24) investigators commissioned by the attorney
3-27 general under Section 402.009, Government Code; <and>
4-1 (25) security officers and investigators commissioned
4-2 as peace officers under the State Lottery Act; and
4-3 (26) investigators commissioned by the Railroad
4-4 Commission of Texas.
4-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
4-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-10 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-11 passage, and it is so enacted.