SRC-DPW S.B. 734 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 734 76R6910 TBy: Armbrister Criminal Justice 4/6/1999 As Filed DIGEST 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 statutory responsibilities with only five commissioned peace officers. This bill 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. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 734 removes the limitation on the number of peace officers the Office of the Attorney General may commission and employ. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 402.009, Government Code, to delete a provision limiting the number of peace officers the attorney general may employ and commission to five at any one time. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.