By Gallego                                            H.B. No. 3443
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the authority of a sheriff to provide law enforcement
 1-3     officers and equipment to assist another county.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 362.002, Local Government Code, is amended
 1-6     by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
 1-7           (d)  A sheriff may provide regularly employed law enforcement
 1-8     officers and equipment under the sheriff's control to assist
 1-9     another county.  The sheriff may provide such assistance only after
1-10     receiving a request from the sheriff and county officer authorized
1-11     to declare a state of civil emergency in the county requesting
1-12     assistance.  The county requesting assistance is responsible for
1-13     any civil liability that arises from the services provided by the
1-14     assisting law enforcement officers.
1-15           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
1-16     vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-17     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-18     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-19     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-20                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
1-21           H.B. 3443 is amended by adding the following language at the
1-22     end of Section 1 of the bill:
1-23     "This subsection does not provide contracting authority to the
1-24     sheriff."
 2-1                                                        Lewis of Tarrant