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1-13 expired and has not been revoked by the Commission on Law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