BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1789
86R2019 MP-F	By: Tinderholt (Fallon)
	Criminal Justice
	5/11/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

There are concerns regarding the ambiguity of state law governing mutual aid agreements for counties to cooperate with one another in the form of law enforcement task forces. It has been suggested that this lack of clarity has led some counties to refuse to sign these agreements with noncontiguous counties, which has impeded the ability of counties to cooperate in training, investigation, and other law enforcement operations. H.B. 1789 seeks to address this issue by clarifying the authority of certain local governments to enter into agreements to create a mutual aid law enforcement task force.

H.B. 1789 amends current law relating to the authority of certain local governmental entities to enter into an agreement to create a mutual aid law enforcement task force.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 362.002(b), Local Government Code, as follows:

(b) Authorizes a county, municipality, or joint airport to, by resolution or order of its governing body, enter into an agreement with a municipality, joint airport, or county, rather than an agreement with a neighboring municipality, joint airport, or contiguous county, to form a mutual aid law enforcement task force to cooperate in criminal investigations and law enforcement.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.