By Hunter                                              H.B. No. 995
         76R4864 DLF-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to peace officers of hospitals in certain municipalities.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 311, Health and Safety
 1-5     Code, is amended by adding Section 311.004 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 311.004.  PEACE OFFICERS OF HOSPITALS IN CERTAIN
 1-7     MUNICIPALITIES.  (a)  The governing board of a nonprofit hospital
 1-8     or hospital district in a municipality with a population of 45,000
 1-9     or more may employ and commission peace officers to protect the
1-10     hospital.
1-11           (b)  A hospital that commissions a peace officer under this
1-12     section shall pay all certification or licensing fees for the peace
1-13     officer license that are charged by the Commission on Law
1-14     Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.
1-15           (c)  The primary jurisdiction of a peace officer commissioned
1-16     by a hospital under this section includes:
1-17                 (1)  the property owned or controlled by the hospital;
1-18     and
1-19                 (2)  the part of any public street or alley that is
1-20     contiguous to hospital property.
1-21           (d)  Within a peace officer's primary jurisdiction, a peace
1-22     officer commissioned under this section:
1-23                 (1)  is vested with all the powers, privileges, and
1-24     immunities of peace officers;
 2-1                 (2)  may, in accordance with Chapter 14, Code of
 2-2     Criminal Procedure, arrest without a warrant any person who
 2-3     violates a law of this state; and
 2-4                 (3)  may enforce all traffic laws on streets and
 2-5     highways.
 2-6           (e)  Outside a peace officer's primary jurisdiction, a peace
 2-7     officer commissioned under this section is vested with all the
 2-8     powers, privileges, and immunities of peace officers and may arrest
 2-9     any person who violates any law of this state if the peace officer:
2-10                 (1)  is summoned by a law enforcement agency to provide
2-11     assistance; or
2-12                 (2)  is assisting a law enforcement agency.
2-13           SECTION 2.  Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
2-14     amended to read as follows:
2-15           Art. 2.12.  WHO ARE PEACE OFFICERS.  The following are peace
2-16     officers:
2-17                 (1)  sheriffs and their deputies;
2-18                 (2)  constables and deputy constables;
2-19                 (3)  marshals or police officers of an incorporated
2-20     city, town, or village;
2-21                 (4)  rangers and officers commissioned by the Public
2-22     Safety Commission and the Director of the Department of Public
2-23     Safety;
2-24                 (5)  investigators of the district attorneys', criminal
2-25     district attorneys', and county attorneys' offices;
2-26                 (6)  law enforcement agents of the Texas Alcoholic
2-27     Beverage Commission;
 3-1                 (7)  each member of an arson investigating unit
 3-2     commissioned by a city, a county, or the state;
 3-3                 (8)  officers commissioned under Section 37.081,
 3-4     Education Code, or Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code;
 3-5                 (9)  officers commissioned by the General Services
 3-6     Commission;
 3-7                 (10)  law enforcement officers commissioned by the
 3-8     Parks and Wildlife Commission;
 3-9                 (11)  airport police officers commissioned by a city
3-10     with a population of more than one million, according to the most
3-11     recent federal census, that operates an airport that serves
3-12     commercial air carriers;
3-13                 (12)  airport security personnel commissioned as peace
3-14     officers by the governing body of any political subdivision of this
3-15     state, other than a city described by Subdivision (11), that
3-16     operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers;
3-17                 (13)  municipal park and recreational patrolmen and
3-18     security officers;
3-19                 (14)  security officers commissioned as peace officers
3-20     by the comptroller;
3-21                 (15)  officers commissioned by a water control and
3-22     improvement district under Section 49.216, Water Code;
3-23                 (16)  officers commissioned by a board of trustees
3-24     under Chapter 341, Acts of the 57th Legislature, Regular Session,
3-25     1961 (Article 1187f, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
3-26                 (17)  investigators commissioned by the Texas State
3-27     Board of Medical Examiners;
 4-1                 (18)  officers commissioned by the board of managers of
 4-2     the Dallas County Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital
 4-3     District, or the Bexar County Hospital District under Section
 4-4     281.057, Health and Safety Code;
 4-5                 (19)  county park rangers commissioned under Subchapter
 4-6     E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
 4-7                 (20)  investigators employed by the Texas Racing
 4-8     Commission;
 4-9                 (21)  officers commissioned by the State Board of
4-10     Pharmacy;
4-11                 (22)  officers commissioned by the governing body of a
4-12     metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 451.108,
4-13     Transportation Code, or by a regional transportation authority
4-14     under Section 452.110, Transportation Code;
4-15                 (23)  investigators commissioned by the attorney
4-16     general under Section 402.009, Government Code;
4-17                 (24)  security officers and investigators commissioned
4-18     as peace officers under Chapter 466, Government Code;
4-19                 (25)  an officer employed by the Texas Department of
4-20     Health under Section 431.2471, Health and Safety Code;
4-21                 (26)  officers appointed by an appellate court under
4-22     Subchapter F, Chapter 53, Government Code;
4-23                 (27)  officers commissioned by the state fire marshal
4-24     under Chapter 417, Government Code;
4-25                 (28)  an investigator commissioned by the commissioner
4-26     of insurance under Article 1.10D, Insurance Code; [and]
4-27                 (29)  apprehension specialists commissioned by the
 5-1     Texas Youth Commission as officers under Section 61.0931, Human
 5-2     Resources Code; and
 5-3                 (30)  officers commissioned by a hospital under Section
 5-4     311.004, Health and Safety Code.
 5-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 5-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 5-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 5-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 5-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-10     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-11     passage, and it is so enacted.