By Zaffirini                                           S.B. No. 720
         76R7209 GWK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to granting limited state law enforcement authority to
 1-3     border patrol agents of the United States Immigration and
 1-4     Naturalization 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 by 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 the
1-22     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                 (9)  Civilian Special Agents of the United States Naval
 2-3     Investigative Service;
 2-4                 (10)  Marshals and Deputy Marshals of the United States
 2-5     Marshals Service;
 2-6                 (11)  Special Agents and Border Patrol Agents of the
 2-7     United States Immigration and Naturalization Service; and
 2-8                 (12)  Special Agents of the United States Department of
 2-9     State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
2-10           (d)  Notwithstanding the provision in Subsection (a)
2-11     authorizing officers listed in that subsection to enforce only
2-12     felony violations of state law, the officer may enforce misdemeanor
2-13     violations of state law if specifically authorized to do so by
2-14     another provision of this article.
2-15           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-20     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-21     passage, and it is so enacted.