1-1  By:  Brown                                             S.B. No. 287
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed January 23, 1995; January 24, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
    1-4  Relations; February 22, 1995, reported favorably by the following
    1-5  vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; February 22, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to enforcement by a disabled person of a law relating to
    1-9  parking  by or for disabled persons.
   1-10        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-11        SECTION 1.  Section 6A, Chapter 338, Acts of the 64th
   1-12  Legislature, 1975 (Article 6675a-5e.1, Vernon's Texas Civil
   1-13  Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
   1-14        (e)  A political subdivision may appoint a disabled person to
   1-15  have the authority to file charges against a person who commits an
   1-16  offense under this Act.  A person appointed under this subsection
   1-17  must be a United States citizen of good moral character who has not
   1-18  been convicted of a felony.  The person must take and subscribe to
   1-19  an oath of office that the political subdivision prescribes and
   1-20  must complete a training program developed by the political
   1-21  subdivision.  The person is not a peace officer, has no authority
   1-22  other than the authority applicable to a citizen to enforce a law
   1-23  other than this Act, and may not carry a weapon while performing
   1-24  duties under this subsection.  The person is not entitled to
   1-25  compensation for performing duties under this subsection or to
   1-26  indemnification from the political subdivision or the state for
   1-27  injury or property damage the person sustains or liability the
   1-28  person incurs in performing duties under this subsection.  The
   1-29  political subdivision and the state are not liable for any damages
   1-30  arising from an act or omission of the person in performing duties
   1-31  under this subsection.
   1-32        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-33  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-34  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-35  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-36  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-37  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-38  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-39                               * * * * *