By: Ellis S.B. No. 1592 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to airport police officers and commissioned peace officers 1-2 of a city or political subdivision of this state. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Title 3A, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding 1-5 Articles 46g-1 and 46g-2 to read as follows: 1-6 Art. 46g-1 AIRPORT SECURITY PERSONNEL IN A POLITICAL 1-7 SUBDIVISION OR CITY WITH A POPULATION OF LESS THAN 900,000 1-8 Sec. 1. The governing body of a political subdivision of 1-9 this state with a population of less than 900,000 that operates an 1-10 airport may establish an airport security force and employ airport 1-11 security personnel or police personnel. 1-12 Sec. 2. A governing body may commission an employee of an 1-13 airport security force established under this article as a police 1-14 officer provided the person is certified as qualified to be a peace 1-15 officer by the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and 1-16 Education. 1-17 Sec. 3. A person commissioned as a peace officer under this 1-18 article shall give an oath and a bond for the faithful performance 1-19 of the person's duties as required by the governing body. The bond 1-20 shall be approved by the governing body and made payable to the 1-21 political subdivision that operates the airport and shall be filed 1-22 with the governing body. 1-23 Sec. 4. Any peace officer commissioned under this article 2-1 shall be vested with all the rights, privileges, obligations, and 2-2 duties of any other peace officer in this state while the officer 2-3 is on the property under the control of the airport or in the 2-4 actual course and scope of the officer's employment. 2-5 Art. 46g-2 POLICE PERSONNEL IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF 2-6 900,000 OR MORE; EMPLOYMENT 2-7 Sec. 1. The governing body of a municipality of this state 2-8 with a population of 900,000 or more that operates an airport which 2-9 handles commercial aircraft that seat 61 passengers or more shall 2-10 establish and employ police officers and support personnel in the 2-11 airport division of the municipality's police department. 2-12 Sec. 2. A governing body shall commission each police 2-13 officer employed in an airport division of that city's police 2-14 department provided they are certified as qualified to be a peace 2-15 officer by the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and 2-16 Education. 2-17 Sec. 3. Any police officer commissioned under this article 2-18 shall be vested with all the rights, privileges, obligations, equal 2-19 benefits, and duties of any police officer employed by the city's 2-20 police department. 2-21 Sec. 4. A police officer transferred from any municipal 2-22 department of a city to the police department of the same city 2-23 shall be transferred as a police officer in the Uniform Class 2-24 (Class "A") into the police department as a Uniform Class (Class 2-25 "A") police officer. 3-1 Sec. 5. Each police officer transferred from any municipal 3-2 department of a city to the police department of the same city 3-3 shall have all accrued benefits retroactive from the police 3-4 officer's original hire date, such as longevity, seniority, rank, 3-5 salary, sick leave, vacation leave, and compensatory time, 3-6 transferred to the city police department and maintained at the 3-7 current rate utilized by the city police department. 3-8 Sec. 6. Each police officer transferred from any municipal 3-9 department of a city to the police department of the same city 3-10 shall have all accrued pension benefits, retroactive to the 3-11 employee's original hire date as a municipal employee, mandatorily 3-12 transferred and converted from the Municipal Pension System to the 3-13 Police Pension System at the current rate utilized by the Police 3-14 Pension System. 3-15 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 3-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-20 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-21 passage, and it is so enacted.