By: Hinojosa  S.B. No. 1959
         (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2015; March 25, 2015, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
  May 6, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
  Nays 2; May 6, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to peace officers commissioned by the State Board of
  Veterinary Medical 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 located primarily in a
  county with a population of 2 million or more 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 Medical
  Board;
               (18)  officers commissioned by:
                     (A)  the board of managers of the Dallas County
  Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital District, the Bexar
  County Hospital District, or the El Paso County Hospital District
  under Section 281.057, Health and Safety Code;
                     (B)  the board of directors of the Ector County
  Hospital District under Section 1024.117, Special District Local
  Laws Code; and
                     (C)  the board of directors of the Midland County
  Hospital District of Midland County, Texas, under Section 1061.121,
  Special District Local Laws 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 Department of State
  Health Services 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 Section 701.104, Insurance Code;
               (29)  apprehension specialists and inspectors general
  commissioned by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department as officers
  under Sections 242.102 and 243.052, Human Resources Code;
               (30)  officers appointed by the inspector general of
  the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.019,
  Government Code;
               (31)  investigators commissioned by the Texas
  Commission on Law Enforcement under Section 1701.160, Occupations
  Code;
               (32)  commission investigators commissioned by the
  Texas Private Security Board under Section 1702.061(f),
  Occupations Code;
               (33)  the fire marshal and any officers, inspectors, or
  investigators commissioned by an emergency services district under
  Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code;
               (34)  officers commissioned by the State Board of
  Dental Examiners under Section 254.013, Occupations Code, subject
  to the limitations imposed by that section;
               (35)  investigators commissioned by the Texas Juvenile
  Justice Department as officers under Section 221.011, Human
  Resources Code; [and]
               (36)  the fire marshal and any related officers,
  inspectors, or investigators commissioned by a county under
  Subchapter B, Chapter 352, Local Government Code; and
               (37)  officers commissioned by the State Board of
  Veterinary Medical Examiners under Section 801.164, Occupations
  Code.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 801, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 801.164 to read as follows:
         Sec. 801.164.  PEACE OFFICERS. (a)  The board may
  commission as a peace officer to enforce this chapter an employee
  who has been certified as qualified to be a peace officer by the
  Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
         (b)  An employee commissioned as a peace officer under this
  chapter has the powers, privileges, and immunities of a peace
  officer while carrying out duties as a peace officer under this
  chapter.
         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, 2015.
 
  * * * * *