By Carter H.B. No. 2023
76R5860 GWK-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the authority of the Commission on Law Enforcement
1-3 Officer Standards and Education to employ and commission peace
1-4 officers.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 415, Government Code, is
1-7 amended by adding Section 415.016 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 415.016. AUTHORITY TO COMMISSION INVESTIGATORS AS PEACE
1-9 OFFICERS. The commission may commission certified peace officers
1-10 as investigators employed by the commission for the limited purpose
1-11 of assisting the commission in administering this chapter.
1-12 SECTION 2. Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-13 amended to read as follows:
1-14 Art. 2.12. WHO ARE PEACE OFFICERS. The following are peace
1-15 officers:
1-16 (1) sheriffs and their deputies;
1-17 (2) constables and deputy constables;
1-18 (3) marshals or police officers of an incorporated
1-19 city, town, or village;
1-20 (4) rangers and officers commissioned by the Public
1-21 Safety Commission and the Director of the Department of Public
1-22 Safety;
1-23 (5) investigators of the district attorneys', criminal
1-24 district attorneys', and county attorneys' offices;
2-1 (6) law enforcement agents of the Texas Alcoholic
2-2 Beverage Commission;
2-3 (7) each member of an arson investigating unit
2-4 commissioned by a city, a county, or the state;
2-5 (8) officers commissioned under Section 37.081,
2-6 Education Code, or Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code;
2-7 (9) officers commissioned by the General Services
2-8 Commission;
2-9 (10) law enforcement officers commissioned by the
2-10 Parks and Wildlife Commission;
2-11 (11) airport police officers commissioned by a city
2-12 with a population of more than one million, according to the most
2-13 recent federal census, that operates an airport that serves
2-14 commercial air carriers;
2-15 (12) airport security personnel commissioned as peace
2-16 officers by the governing body of any political subdivision of this
2-17 state, other than a city described by Subdivision (11), that
2-18 operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers;
2-19 (13) municipal park and recreational patrolmen and
2-20 security officers;
2-21 (14) security officers commissioned as peace officers
2-22 by the comptroller;
2-23 (15) officers commissioned by a water control and
2-24 improvement district under Section 49.216, Water Code;
2-25 (16) officers commissioned by a board of trustees
2-26 under Chapter 341, Acts of the 57th Legislature, Regular Session,
2-27 1961 (Article 1187f, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
3-1 (17) investigators commissioned by the Texas State
3-2 Board of Medical Examiners;
3-3 (18) officers commissioned by the board of managers of
3-4 the Dallas County Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital
3-5 District, or the Bexar County Hospital District under Section
3-6 281.057, Health and Safety Code;
3-7 (19) county park rangers commissioned under Subchapter
3-8 E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
3-9 (20) investigators employed by the Texas Racing
3-10 Commission;
3-11 (21) officers commissioned by the State Board of
3-12 Pharmacy;
3-13 (22) officers commissioned by the governing body of a
3-14 metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 451.108,
3-15 Transportation Code, or by a regional transportation authority
3-16 under Section 452.110, Transportation Code;
3-17 (23) investigators commissioned by the attorney
3-18 general under Section 402.009, Government Code;
3-19 (24) security officers and investigators commissioned
3-20 as peace officers under Chapter 466, Government Code;
3-21 (25) an officer employed by the Texas Department of
3-22 Health under Section 431.2471, Health and Safety Code;
3-23 (26) officers appointed by an appellate court under
3-24 Subchapter F, Chapter 53, Government Code;
3-25 (27) officers commissioned by the state fire marshal
3-26 under Chapter 417, Government Code;
3-27 (28) an investigator commissioned by the commissioner
4-1 of insurance under Article 1.10D, Insurance Code; [and]
4-2 (29) apprehension specialists commissioned by the
4-3 Texas Youth Commission as officers under Section 61.0931, Human
4-4 Resources Code; and
4-5 (30) investigators commissioned by the Commission on
4-6 Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education under Section
4-7 415.016, Government Code.
4-8 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
4-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-14 passage, and it is so enacted.