By Harris                                        S.B. No. 995

      75R5472 JRD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to retired Texas Rangers, special rangers, and special

 1-3     department of public safety officers.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 411, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 411.0211 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 411.0211.  RETIRED TEXAS RANGERS.  (a)  An honorably

 1-8     retired or retiring member of the department who has served at

 1-9     least 10 years as a Texas Ranger is entitled on application to the

1-10     department to retain the person's rank and commission as a Texas

1-11     Ranger if:

1-12                 (1)  the person's license as a peace officer has not

1-13     expired and has not been revoked by the Commission on Law

1-14     Enforcement Officer Standards and Education under Section 415.060;

1-15     and

1-16                 (2)  the person agrees to be bound by the restrictions

1-17     and requirements of this section.

1-18           (b)  A Texas Ranger commissioned under this section:

1-19                 (1)  does not have administrative authority over any

1-20     other Texas Ranger or any member of the department; and

1-21                 (2)  is not connected with any ranger company or

1-22     uniformed division of the department.

1-23           (c)  A Texas Ranger commissioned under this section is

1-24     subject to the orders of the commission and the governor for

 2-1     special duty to the same extent as other law enforcement officers

 2-2     provided for by this chapter. A Texas Ranger commissioned under

 2-3     this section serves without compensation except when called for

 2-4     special duty that lasts for more than three consecutive days.

 2-5           (d)  The department shall revoke a Texas Ranger commission

 2-6     issued under this section if:

 2-7                 (1)  the Texas Ranger's license as a peace officer is

 2-8     revoked under Section 415.060; or

 2-9                 (2)  the department determines after a procedure

2-10     conducted in accordance with Section 411.007 that the Texas Ranger

2-11     violated a rule of the department and that an active Texas Ranger

2-12     who violated the same rule would be discharged from the department.

2-13           SECTION 2.  Section 411.023, Government Code, is amended to

2-14     read as follows:

2-15           Sec. 411.023.  SPECIAL RANGERS AND SPECIAL DEPARTMENT OF

2-16     PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS.  (a)  The commission may appoint as special

2-17     department of public safety officers [rangers] honorably retired

2-18     commissioned officers of the department and may appoint not  more

2-19     than 300 [other] persons as special rangers.

2-20           (b)  A special ranger or special department of public safety

2-21     officer is subject to the orders of the commission and the governor

2-22     for special duty to the same extent as other law enforcement

2-23     officers provided for by this chapter, except that a special ranger

2-24     or special department of public safety officer may not enforce a

2-25     law except one the violation of which is a criminal offense

2-26     [designed  to protect life and property] and may not enforce a law

2-27     regulating the use of a state highway by a motor vehicle.  A

 3-1     special ranger or special department of public safety officer is

 3-2     not connected with a ranger company or uniformed unit of the

 3-3     department.

 3-4           (c)  Before issuance of a commission to a special ranger the

 3-5     person shall enter into a good and sufficient bond executed by a

 3-6     surety company authorized to do business in the state in the amount

 3-7     of $2,500, approved by the director, and indemnifying all persons

 3-8     against damages resulting from an unlawful act of the special

 3-9     ranger.

3-10           (d)  A special ranger or special department of public safety

3-11     officer is not entitled to compensation from the state for service

3-12     as  a special ranger or as a special department of public safety

3-13     officer except when called to active duty for a period of more than

3-14     three consecutive days.

3-15           (e)  A special ranger commission expires January 1 of the

3-16     first odd-numbered year after appointment.  The director may revoke

3-17     a special ranger or special department of public safety officer

3-18     commission at any time for cause.

3-19           SECTION 3.  Section 415.034(e), Government Code, is amended

3-20     to read as follows:

3-21           (e)  An honorably retired commissioned officer of the

3-22     Department of Public Safety who is a special ranger under Section

3-23     411.023 and an honorably retired Texas Ranger who is commissioned

3-24     under Section 411.0211 may not be required to undergo training

3-25     under  Subsection (b).

3-26           SECTION 4.  If more than 300 persons serve as special rangers

3-27     under Section 411.023, Government Code, on the effective date of

 4-1     this Act, the Texas Department of Public Safety may allow current

 4-2     members to serve until their commissions expire but the department

 4-3     may not appoint or reappoint special rangers while the number of

 4-4     special rangers exceeds 300.

 4-5           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 4-6           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

 4-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 4-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 4-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

4-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.