By: Seliger S.B. No. 956
(In the Senate - Filed March 3, 2005; March 14, 2005, read
first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
April 22, 2005, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5,
Nays 0; April 22, 2005, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the appointment and jurisdiction of cattle rangers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 2, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
amended by adding Article 2.125 to read as follows:
Art. 2.125. SPECIAL RANGERS OF TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN
CATTLE RAISERS ASSOCIATION. (a) The director of the Department of
Public Safety may appoint up to 50 special rangers who are employed
by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association to aid law
enforcement agencies in the investigation of the theft of livestock
or related property.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a special ranger
may make arrests and exercise all authority given peace officers
under this code when necessary to prevent or abate the commission of
an offense involving livestock or related property.
(c) A special ranger may not issue a traffic citation for a
violation of Chapter 521, Transportation Code, or Subtitle C, Title
7, Transportation Code.
(d) A special ranger is not entitled to state benefits
normally provided by the state to a peace officer.
(e) A person may not serve as a special ranger unless:
(1) the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers
Association submits the person's application for appointment and
certification as a special ranger to the director of the Department
of Public Safety and to the executive director of the Commission on
Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education;
(2) the director of the department issues the person a
certificate of authority to act as a special ranger;
(3) the executive director of the commission
determines that the person meets minimum standards required of
peace officers by the commission relating to competence,
reliability, education, training, morality, and physical and
mental health and issues the person a license as a special ranger;
and
(4) the person has met all standards for certification
as a peace officer by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Education.
(f) For good cause, the director of the department may
revoke a certificate of authority issued under this article, and
the executive director of the commission may revoke a license
issued under this article. Termination of employment with the
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, or the
revocation of a special ranger license, constitutes an automatic
revocation of a certificate of authority to act as a special ranger.
(g) The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
is liable for any act or omission by a person serving as a special
ranger for the association that is within the person's scope of
employment. Neither the state nor any political subdivision or
agency of the state is liable for any act or omission by a person
appointed as a special ranger. All expenses incurred by the
granting or revocation of a certificate of authority to act as a
special ranger shall be paid by the association.
(h) The director of the department and the executive
director of the commission have the authority to adopt rules
necessary for the effective administration and performance of the
duties and responsibilities delegated to them by this article.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
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