BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 713 By: Oakley 04-27-95 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND The Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies Act Was passed by the Texas Legislature as a consumer protection law. The purpose of this law was to license, and regulate the Private security and private investigators profession, and provide a penalty for those who practice without a license. Currently, there are no provisions for continuing education courses. Providing guidelines for continued education courses will ensure that one is required to update their professional skills, such as applicable laws. PURPOSE As proposed House Bill 713 will provide a penalty for repeat violators, and require the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies to implement continued training courses in order to maintain a license. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Additional Rulemaking Authority would be granted to the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies in Section 1, subsection (d). SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 11 (d), of the Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies act (Article 4413(29bb), Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), to require the board to set the minimum number of hours for Continuing education courses. SECTION 2. Amends Section 44. of the Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies Act (Article 4413(29bb), Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes by amending; Subsection (c) to create a penalty of a third degree felony for a person who has been previously convicted of an offense under this act. Subsection (f) is added to create a Class A misdemeanor penalty for anyone who knowingly hires a person who is operating under this Act without a license. SECTION 3. Effective date September 1, 1995. SECTION 4. (a) An offense is punishable under this Act if the offense occurs on or after the effective date. The earliest element of the offense is considered the date of the offense. (b) Offenses committed before the effective date are punishable by the law as of August 31,1995. SECTION 5. Rules shall be adopted for continuing education courses not later than March 1, 1996 SECTION 6. Emergency clause COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE Section 1 of the original is deleted in the substitute. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION HB 713 was considered by the Committee on Public Safety in a public hearing on March 21, 1995. The committee considered a complete substitute for the bill. 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 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 1 absent.