By Van de Putte H.B. No. 1968
76R6040 MXM-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the powers and duties of peace officers commissioned by
1-3 certain hospital districts.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 281.057, Health and Safety Code, is
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 281.057. EMPLOYMENT OF DISTRICT PEACE OFFICERS. (a)
1-8 The board of the Dallas County Hospital District, the Tarrant
1-9 County Hospital District, or the Bexar County Hospital District may
1-10 employ and commission peace officers for the district. The primary
1-11 jurisdiction of a peace officer commissioned under this section
1-12 includes each county in which property is owned, leased, rented, or
1-13 otherwise under the control of the district that employs the peace
1-14 officer.
1-15 (b) Within the peace officer's primary jurisdiction, a peace
1-16 officer commissioned under this section:
1-17 (1) is vested with all the powers, privileges, and
1-18 immunities of peace officers;
1-19 (2) may, in accordance with Chapter 14, Code of
1-20 Criminal Procedure, arrest without a warrant any person who
1-21 violates a law of the state; and
1-22 (3) may enforce all traffic laws on streets and
1-23 highways.
1-24 (c) Outside a peace officer's primary jurisdiction a peace
2-1 officer commissioned under this section is vested with all the
2-2 powers, privileges, and immunities of peace officers and may arrest
2-3 any person who violates any law of the state if the peace officer:
2-4 (1) is summoned by another law enforcement agency to
2-5 provide assistance;
2-6 (2) is assisting another law enforcement agency; or
2-7 (3) is otherwise performing duties as a peace officer
2-8 for the district that employs the peace officer.
2-9 (d) A person commissioned under this section must be a
2-10 certified police officer under the requirements of the Commission
2-11 on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. [A district
2-12 peace officer may make an arrest if:]
2-13 [(1) the arrest is necessary to prevent or abate the
2-14 commission of a criminal offense and the offense or threatened
2-15 offense occurs on any land, easement, right-of-way, or other
2-16 property owned and controlled by the district; or]
2-17 [(2) the offense involves injury or harm to any
2-18 property owned or controlled by the district.]
2-19 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.