By Staples, et al.                                     H.B. No. 722
         76R3824 BDH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the number of certified peace officers employed by the
 1-3     Texas Forest Service.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 88.103, Education Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 88.103.  ENFORCEMENT; APPOINTMENT OF PEACE OFFICERS.
 1-8     The director may appoint not to exceed 25 [12] employees of the
 1-9     Texas Forest Service who are certified by the Commission on Law
1-10     Enforcement Officer  Standards and Education as qualified to be
1-11     peace officers to serve as peace officers under his direction in
1-12     executing the enforcement duties of that agency.  The appointments
1-13     must be approved by the board which shall commission the appointees
1-14     as peace officers.  Any officer commissioned under this section is
1-15     vested with all the powers, privileges, and immunities of peace
1-16     officers in the performance of his duties.  The officer shall take
1-17     the oath required of peace officers and shall execute a good and
1-18     sufficient bond in the sum of $5,000, payable to the governor and
1-19     his successors in office, with two or more good and sufficient
1-20     personal sureties or with one corporate surety authorized to do
1-21     business in Texas, conditioned that he will fairly, impartially,
1-22     and faithfully perform all the duties that may be required of him
1-23     by law.  The bond may be sued on in the name of any person injured
1-24     until the whole amount of the bond is recovered.
 2-1           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-7     passage, and it is so enacted.