1-1 By: Wentworth S.B. No. 1255
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1997; March 17, 1997, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on International Relations,
1-4 Trade, and Technology; April 24, 1997, reported favorably by the
1-5 following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 24, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to granting limited state law enforcement authority to
1-9 certain special agents of the United States government.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Article 2.122, Code of Criminal
1-12 Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
1-13 (a) The following named criminal investigators of the United
1-14 States shall not be deemed peace officers, but shall have the
1-15 powers of arrest, search and seizure as to felony offenses only
1-16 under the laws of the State of Texas:
1-17 (1) Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of
1-18 Investigation;
1-19 (2) Special Agents of the Secret Service;
1-20 (3) Special Agents of the United States Customs
1-21 Service[, excluding border patrolmen and custom inspectors];
1-22 (4) Special Agents of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms;
1-23 (5) Special Agents of Federal Drug Enforcement Agency;
1-24 (6) Inspectors of the United States Postal Service;
1-25 (7) Special Agents and Law Enforcement Officers of the
1-26 United States Forest Service;
1-27 (8) Special Agents of the Criminal Investigation
1-28 Division and Inspectors of the Internal Security Division of the
1-29 Internal Revenue Service; [and]
1-30 (9) Civilian Special Agents of the United States Naval
1-31 Investigative Service;
1-32 (10) Special Agents of the United States Immigration
1-33 and Naturalization Service; and
1-34 (11) Special Agents of the United States Department of
1-35 State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
1-36 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
1-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-41 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-42 passage, and it is so enacted.
1-43 * * * * *