By Kamel H.B. No. 142 75R693 GWK-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of a parole officer to carry certain 1-3 weapons. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 46.15, Penal Code, is amended to read as 1-6 follows: 1-7 Sec. 46.15. NONAPPLICABILITY TO PEACE OFFICERS AND PAROLE 1-8 OFFICERS. Sections 46.02 and 46.03 do not apply to peace officers 1-9 or to parole officers employed by the pardons and paroles division 1-10 of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and neither section 1-11 prohibits a peace officer or a parole officer from carrying a 1-12 weapon in this state, regardless of whether the officer is engaged 1-13 in the actual discharge of the officer's duties while carrying the 1-14 weapon. 1-15 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies 1-16 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this 1-17 Act. For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before 1-18 the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs 1-19 before the effective date. 1-20 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this 1-21 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, 1-22 and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose. 1-23 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-24 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.