By Ellis                                              S.B. No. 1529
       74R5721 MLR-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the investigation of a county or municipal law
    1-3  enforcement officer in certain counties and municipalities.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 5, Local Government Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Chapter 176 to read as follows:
    1-7        CHAPTER 176.  INVESTIGATION OF COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL LAW
    1-8      ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
    1-9        Sec. 176.001.  APPLICABILITY.  This chapter does not apply:
   1-10              (1)  in a municipality to which Section 143.123
   1-11  applies; or
   1-12              (2)  to an interrogation about an incident that could
   1-13  in reasonable probability result in criminal charges being filed
   1-14  against the law enforcement officer being interrogated.
   1-15        Sec. 176.002.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
   1-16              (1)  "Agency" means a county or municipal law
   1-17  enforcement agency.
   1-18              (2)  "Complainant" means a person claiming to be the
   1-19  victim of misconduct by a law enforcement officer.
   1-20              (3)  "Investigation" means an administrative
   1-21  investigation, conducted by the employing or appointing law
   1-22  enforcement agency, of alleged misconduct by a law enforcement
   1-23  officer that could in reasonable probability result in punitive
   1-24  action against that person.
    2-1              (4)  "Investigator" means an agent or employee of an
    2-2  agency who is assigned to conduct an investigation.
    2-3              (5)  "Law enforcement officer" means a person who is
    2-4  employed or appointed by a county or municipal law enforcement
    2-5  agency, or the agency head, and who is a peace officer under
    2-6  Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law.
    2-7              (6)  "Normally assigned working hours" includes those
    2-8  hours during which a law enforcement officer is actually at work or
    2-9  at the person's assigned place of work, but does not include any
   2-10  time when the person is off duty on authorized leave, including
   2-11  sick leave.
   2-12              (7)  "Punitive action" means a disciplinary suspension,
   2-13  dismissal from the agency, demotion in rank, or any combination of
   2-14  those actions.
   2-15        Sec. 176.003.  IDENTITY OF INVESTIGATOR.  (a) A law
   2-16  enforcement officer who is the subject of an investigation has the
   2-17  right to inquire and, on inquiry, to be informed of the identities
   2-18  of each investigator participating in an interrogation of the law
   2-19  enforcement officer.
   2-20        (b)  In an agency with more than 75 law enforcement officers,
   2-21  a person may not be assigned to conduct an investigation if the
   2-22  person is the complainant, the ultimate decision maker regarding
   2-23  punitive  action, or a person who has any personal involvement
   2-24  regarding the alleged misconduct.
   2-25        Sec. 176.004.  OFFICER'S PARTICIPATION IN INVESTIGATION.  The
   2-26  agency head may not consider work time missed from regular duties
   2-27  by a law enforcement officer due to participation in the conduct of
    3-1  an investigation in determining whether to impose a punitive action
    3-2  or in determining the severity of a punitive action.
    3-3        Sec. 176.005.  INTERROGATION DURING WORKING HOURS.  An
    3-4  investigator may interrogate a law enforcement officer who is the
    3-5  subject of an investigation only during the law enforcement
    3-6  officer's normally assigned working hours unless the law
    3-7  enforcement officer is compensated for the interrogation time on an
    3-8  overtime basis.
    3-9        Sec. 176.006.  LOCATION OF INTERROGATION.  An investigator
   3-10  may not interrogate a law enforcement officer who is the subject of
   3-11  an investigation at that officer's home without that officer's
   3-12  permission.
   3-13        Sec. 176.007.  PREREQUISITES TO INTERROGATION.  (a)  Before
   3-14  an investigator may interrogate a law enforcement officer who is
   3-15  the subject of an investigation, the investigator must inform the
   3-16  law enforcement officer in writing of the nature of the
   3-17  investigation and the name of each person who complained about the
   3-18  law enforcement officer concerning the matters under investigation.
   3-19        (b)  An investigator may not conduct an interrogation of a
   3-20  law enforcement officer based on a complaint by a complainant who
   3-21  is not a peace officer unless the complainant verifies the
   3-22  complaint in writing before a public officer who is authorized by
   3-23  law to take statements under oath.
   3-24        (c)  In an investigation under this chapter, an investigator
   3-25  may interrogate a law enforcement officer about events or conduct
   3-26  reported by a witness who is not a complainant without disclosing
   3-27  the name of the witness.
    4-1        (d)  An interrogation may be conducted to investigate a
    4-2  complaint from an anonymous complainant if the agency employee
    4-3  receiving the anonymous complaint certifies in writing, under oath,
    4-4  that the complainant did not give the complainant's name or other
    4-5  personal identification.
    4-6        (e)  This section does not apply to an investigation that
    4-7  occurs on the scene of and immediately after an incident being
    4-8  investigated if the limitations of this section would unreasonably
    4-9  hinder the essential purpose of the investigation or interrogation.
   4-10  If the limitations would hinder the investigation or interrogation,
   4-11  the law enforcement officer under investigation must be furnished,
   4-12  as soon as practicable, a written statement of the nature of the
   4-13  investigation, the name of each complaining party, and the
   4-14  complaint or statement.
   4-15        Sec. 176.008.  CONDUCT OF INTERROGATION.  (a)  An
   4-16  interrogation session of a law enforcement officer who is the
   4-17  subject of an investigation may not be unreasonably long.  In
   4-18  determining reasonableness, the gravity and complexity of the
   4-19  investigation must be considered.  The investigators shall allow
   4-20  reasonable interruptions to permit the law enforcement officer to
   4-21  attend to personal physical necessities.
   4-22        (b)  An investigator may not threaten a law enforcement
   4-23  officer who is the subject of an investigation with punitive action
   4-24  during an interrogation.  An investigator, however, may inform a
   4-25  law enforcement officer that failure to truthfully answer
   4-26  reasonable questions directly related to the investigation or to
   4-27  fully cooperate in the conduct of the investigation may result in
    5-1  punitive action.
    5-2        Sec. 176.009.  RECORDING OF INTERROGATION.   If prior
    5-3  notification of intent to record an interrogation is given to the
    5-4  other party, either the investigator or the law enforcement officer
    5-5  who is the subject of an interrogation may record the
    5-6  interrogation.
    5-7        Sec. 176.010.  RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION.  (a)  If an
    5-8  investigation does not result in punitive action against a law
    5-9  enforcement officer but does result in a reprimand recorded in
   5-10  writing or an adverse finding or determination regarding the
   5-11  officer, the reprimand, finding, or determination may not be placed
   5-12  in the officer's personnel file unless the officer is first given
   5-13  an opportunity to read and sign the document.
   5-14        (b)  If the law enforcement officer refuses to sign the
   5-15  reprimand, finding, or determination, it may be placed in the
   5-16  personnel file with a notation that the officer refused to sign it.
   5-17        (c)  A law enforcement officer may respond in writing to a
   5-18  reprimand, finding, or determination that is placed in the
   5-19  officer's personnel file under this section by submitting a written
   5-20  response to the agency head within 10 days after the date the law
   5-21  enforcement officer is asked to sign the document.  The response
   5-22  shall be placed in the personnel file.
   5-23        (d)  A law enforcement officer who receives a punitive action
   5-24  and who elects not to appeal the action under any available appeal
   5-25  procedure may file a written response as prescribed by this section
   5-26  within 10 days after the date the officer is given written notice
   5-27  of the punitive action from the agency head.
    6-1        Sec. 176.011.  EXCLUSION OF EVIDENCE.  Any information
    6-2  obtained in violation of this chapter may not be used as evidence
    6-3  against the law enforcement officer in any administrative action.
    6-4        SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
    6-5  section, Chapter 176, Local Government Code, as added by this Act,
    6-6  applies only to an interrogation that takes place on or after the
    6-7  effective date of this Act.
    6-8        (b)  Section 176.004, Local Government Code, as added by this
    6-9  Act, applies only to an action of an agency head on or after the
   6-10  effective date of this Act that is based on an interrogation or
   6-11  investigation that takes place on, before, or after the effective
   6-12  date of this Act.
   6-13        (c)  Section 176.003(b), Local Government Code, as added by
   6-14  this Act, applies only to an assignment that is made on or after
   6-15  the effective date of this Act.
   6-16        (d)  Section 176.010, Local Government Code, as added by this
   6-17  Act, applies only to a punitive action that is taken or to a
   6-18  reprimand, finding, or determination that is placed in a personnel
   6-19  file on or after the effective date of this Act.
   6-20        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   6-21  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   6-22  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   6-23  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   6-24  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   6-25  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   6-26  passage, and it is so enacted.