LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 78TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 17, 2003

TO:	Honorable Mike Krusee, Chair, House Committee on Transportation
FROM:	John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1235 by Corte (Relating to the establishment of security forces in certain metropolitan rapid transit authorities.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend Section 251, Transportation Code, to authorize a metropolitan rapid transit authority (RTA) that was created before 1980 and is in a municipality with a population of less than 1.2 million to establish a security force, employ security personnel, and commission those personnel as peace officers. Those peace officers would have all the powers, privileges, and immunities as county peace officers in the counties in which the RTA provides services. The bill would take effect September 1, 2003.

Local Government Impact

Current statute authorizes an RTA to commission peace officers, but does not specify establishing a security force and sets limits to those peace officers' powers. Current statute also authorizes only an RTA in the City of Houston to bestow the powers, privileges, and immunities listed in the bill upon the RTA's commissioned peace officers. The bill would expand peace officer powers, privileges, and immunities to peace officers in other RTAs in the state besides Houston and would specifically authorize RTAs to establish a security force.

Adding powers, privileges, and immunities to RTA commissioned peace officers is not expected to have a fiscal impact. An RTA would incur new costs only if it determines additional officers are needed, in which case the costs would be those associated with salary and benefits. 

Source Agencies:	405 Department Of Public Safety
LBB Staff:	JK, RR, DLBa, JB