1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to granting limited state law enforcement authority to
1-3 special agents and law enforcement officers of the United States
1-4 Forest Service.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-7 amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to
1-8 read as follows:
1-9 (a) The following named criminal investigators of the United
1-10 States shall not be deemed peace officers, but shall have the
1-11 powers of arrest, search and seizure as to felony offenses only
1-12 under the laws of the State of Texas:
1-13 (1) Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of
1-14 Investigation;
1-15 (2) Special Agents of the Secret Service;
1-16 (3) Special Agents of the United States Customs
1-17 Service;
1-18 (4) Special Agents of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms;
1-19 (5) Special Agents of Federal Drug Enforcement Agency;
1-20 (6) Inspectors of the United States Postal Service;
1-21 (7) [Special Agents and Law Enforcement Officers of
1-22 the United States Forest Service;]
1-23 [(8)] Special Agents of the Criminal Investigation
1-24 Division and Inspectors of the Internal Security Division of the
2-1 Internal Revenue Service;
2-2 (8) [(9)] Civilian Special Agents of the United States
2-3 Naval Investigative Service;
2-4 (9) [(10)] Marshals and Deputy Marshals of the United
2-5 States Marshals Service;
2-6 (10) [(11)] Special Agents of the United States
2-7 Immigration and Naturalization Service; and
2-8 (11) [(12)] Special Agents of the United States
2-9 Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
2-10 (d) A Special Agent or Law Enforcement Officer of the United
2-11 States Forest Service is not a peace officer under the laws of this
2-12 state, except that the agent or officer has the powers of arrest,
2-13 search, and seizure as to any offense under the laws of this state
2-14 committed within the National Forest System. In this subsection,
2-15 "National Forest System" has the meaning assigned by 16 U.S.C.
2-16 Section 1609.
2-17 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
2-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-22 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-23 passage, and it is so enacted.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 525 was passed by the House on April
8, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 525 was passed by the Senate on May
10, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor