BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 384 By: Junell 04-12-95 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Under current law, Railroad Commission oil field theft investigators are not eligible to retire and receive a service retirement annuity Under Section 814.104 of the Government Code. PURPOSE This bill makes employees of the Railroad Commission of Texas who are licensed by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education and have served at least five years as an investigator for oil field theft detection division of the Railroad Commission of Texas eligible to retire and receive a service retirement annuity. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1: Amends Section 814.104(b) of the Government Code to include an employee of the Railroad Commission of Texas who is licensed by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education and has served at least five years as an investigator for the oil field theft detection division. SECTION 2: Effective date, September 1, 1995. SECTION 3: Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The original bill added a commissioned peace officer of the Railroad Commission of Texas engaged in criminal investigations to the statute. The substitute changes the addition to be a more direct reference and narrows the language to an employee of the Railroad Commission of Texas who is licensed by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education that has served at least five years as an investigator for oil field theft detection division. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION The bill was considered in a public hearing on February 20, 1995. Rep. Junell testified as the bill's author. William S. Nail representing the Employees Retirement System testified neutrally on the bill. The bill was referred to a subcommittee consisting of Representatives Haggerty, Telford and Averitt. The subcommittee considered a complete committee substitute for the bill. The substitute was adopted without objection. The subcommittee voted to report the bill as substituted back to the full committee by a record vote of 3 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv & 0 absent. HB 384 was considered on subcommittee report by the committee in a public hearing on April 12, 1995. The full committee considered a complete committee substitute recommended by the subcommittee. The substitute was adopted without objection. The bill was reported favorably as substituted with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, by a record vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv & 4 absent.