H.B. No. 875
AN ACT
relating to peace officers commissioned by the State Board of
Dental Examiners.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended to read as follows:
Art. 2.12. WHO ARE PEACE OFFICERS. The following are peace
officers:
(1) sheriffs, their deputies, and those reserve
deputies who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under
Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
(2) constables, deputy constables, and those reserve
deputy constables who hold a permanent peace officer license issued
under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
(3) marshals or police officers of an incorporated
city, town, or village, and those reserve municipal police officers
who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter
1701, Occupations Code;
(4) rangers and officers commissioned by the Public
Safety Commission and the Director of the Department of Public
Safety;
(5) investigators of the district attorneys', criminal
district attorneys', and county attorneys' offices;
(6) law enforcement agents of the Texas Alcoholic
Beverage Commission;
(7) each member of an arson investigating unit
commissioned by a city, a county, or the state;
(8) officers commissioned under Section 37.081,
Education Code, or Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code;
(9) officers commissioned by the General Services
Commission;
(10) law enforcement officers commissioned by the
Parks and Wildlife Commission;
(11) airport police officers commissioned by a city
with a population of more than 1.18 million that operates an airport
that serves commercial air carriers;
(12) airport security personnel commissioned as peace
officers by the governing body of any political subdivision of this
state, other than a city described by Subdivision (11), that
operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers;
(13) municipal park and recreational patrolmen and
security officers;
(14) security officers and investigators commissioned
as peace officers by the comptroller;
(15) officers commissioned by a water control and
improvement district under Section 49.216, Water Code;
(16) officers commissioned by a board of trustees
under Chapter 54, Transportation Code;
(17) investigators commissioned by the Texas State
Board of Medical Examiners;
(18) officers commissioned by the board of managers of
the Dallas County Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital
District, or the Bexar County Hospital District under Section
281.057, Health and Safety Code;
(19) county park rangers commissioned under
Subchapter E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
(20) investigators employed by the Texas Racing
Commission;
(21) officers commissioned under Chapter 554,
Occupations Code;
(22) officers commissioned by the governing body of a
metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 451.108,
Transportation Code, or by a regional transportation authority
under Section 452.110, Transportation Code;
(23) investigators commissioned by the attorney
general under Section 402.009, Government Code;
(24) security officers and investigators commissioned
as peace officers under Chapter 466, Government Code;
(25) an officer employed by the Texas Department of
Health under Section 431.2471, Health and Safety Code;
(26) officers appointed by an appellate court under
Subchapter F, Chapter 53, Government Code;
(27) officers commissioned by the state fire marshal
under Chapter 417, Government Code;
(28) an investigator commissioned by the commissioner
of insurance under Article 1.10D, Insurance Code;
(29) apprehension specialists commissioned by the
Texas Youth Commission as officers under Section 61.0931, Human
Resources Code;
(30) officers appointed by the executive director of
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.019,
Government Code;
(31) investigators commissioned by the Commission on
Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education under Section
1701.160, Occupations Code;
(32) commission investigators commissioned by the
Texas Commission on Private Security under Section 1702.061(f),
Occupations Code; [and]
(33) the fire marshal, and any investigators
commissioned by an emergency services district to assist that fire
marshal, under Subchapter F, Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code;
and
(34) officers commissioned by the State Board of
Dental Examiners under Section 254.013, Occupations Code, subject
to the limitations imposed by that section.
SECTION 2. Chapter 254, Occupations Code, is amended by
adding Section 254.013 to read as follows:
Sec. 254.013. PEACE OFFICERS. (a) The board may commission
as a peace officer to enforce this subtitle an employee who has been
certified as qualified to be a peace officer by the Commission on
Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.
(b) An employee commissioned as a peace officer under this
subtitle has the powers, privileges, and immunities of a peace
officer while carrying out duties as a peace officer under this
subtitle.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 875 was passed by the House on May 6,
2003, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 875 was passed by the Senate on May
28, 2003, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor