HBA-EVB S.B. 734 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 734 By: Armbrister Public Safety 4/29/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas law limits the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to commissioning and employing no more than five commissioned peace officers at any one time. Because of expanded responsibilities under the Medicaid fraud program over the years, increased demand for assistance to the prosecutors' assistance division, and an increased number of investigations by internal security and investigations of theft of state property, OAG has not been able to perform all of its statutory responsibilities with only five commissioned peace officers. S.B. 734 removes the cap on the number of commissioned peace officers that OAG is permitted to commission and employ, while leaving in place the statutory limitations on the purposes for which such officers may be used. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 402.009, Government Code, as follows: Sec. 402.009. AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY AND COMMISSION PEACE OFFICERS. Authorizes the attorney general to employ and commission peace officers as investigators for the limited purpose of assisting the attorney general in carrying out the duties of that office relating to prosecution assistance and crime prevention. Deletes text prohibiting the attorney general from employing and commissioning as peace officers more than five persons at any one time for such purposes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.