By West                                                H.B. No. 243
         76R10124 DAK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to authorizing peace officers to administer certain oaths.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 602.002, Government Code, is amended to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 602.002.  OATH MADE IN TEXAS.  An oath made in this
 1-7     state may be administered and a certificate of the fact given by:
 1-8                 (1)  a judge, clerk, or commissioner of a court of
 1-9     record;
1-10                 (2)  a justice of the peace or a clerk of a justice
1-11     court;
1-12                 (3)  a notary public;
1-13                 (4)  a member of a board or commission created by a law
1-14     of this state, in a matter pertaining to a duty of the board or
1-15     commission;
1-16                 (5)  a person employed by the Texas Ethics Commission
1-17     who has a duty related to a report required by Title 15, Election
1-18     Code, in a matter pertaining to that duty;
1-19                 (6)  a county tax assessor-collector or an employee of
1-20     the county tax assessor-collector if the oath relates to a document
1-21     that is required or authorized to be filed in the office of the
1-22     county tax assessor-collector;
1-23                 (7)  a peace officer described by Article 2.12, Code of
1-24     Criminal Procedure, if:
 2-1                       (A)  the oath is administered when the officer is
 2-2     engaged in the performance of the officer's duties; and
 2-3                       (B)  the administration of the oath relates to
 2-4     the officer's duties;
 2-5                 (8)  the secretary of state;
 2-6                 (9) [(8)]  the lieutenant governor;
 2-7                 (10) [(9)]  the speaker of the house of
 2-8     representatives; or
 2-9                 (11) [(10)]  the governor.
2-10           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-15     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-16     passage, and it is so enacted.