By Keel                                         H.B. No. 2434

      75R8771 GWK-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority of a peace officer to make a warrantless

 1-3     arrest.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Article 14.04, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           Art. 14.04.  WHEN FELONY HAS BEEN COMMITTED.  If [Where it is

 1-8     shown by satisfactory proof to] a peace officer has probable cause

 1-9     to believe [, upon the representation of a credible person,] that a

1-10     felony has been committed by an [, and that the] offender [is about

1-11     to escape], the [so that there is no time to procure a warrant,

1-12     such] peace officer may [,] without a warrant [, pursue and] arrest

1-13     the offender [accused].

1-14           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies

1-15     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this

1-16     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before

1-17     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs

1-18     before the effective date.

1-19           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this

1-20     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,

1-21     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

1-22           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.