BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2272

By: Raney

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that a reserve deputy, before beginning to perform the duties of office, must file a bond in a certain amount payable to the sheriff, while constables may execute a blanket surety bond to cover their reserve officers. These parties have long held that this inequity in the law unnecessarily limits a sheriff's ability to cover reserve deputies. H.B. 2272 seeks to address this issue.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2272 amends the Local Government Code to authorize a sheriff who appoints more than one reserve deputy sheriff to execute a blanket surety bond to cover the reserve deputy sheriffs.  The bill authorizes a county to self-insure against losses that would have been covered by an individual bond or a blanket surety bond, instead of such bonds being executed by a reserve deputy sheriff or sheriff, respectively.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.