BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1789

By: Tinderholt

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

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.

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. 1789 amends the Local Government Code to remove the specification that the municipality, joint airport, or county with which a county, municipality, or joint airport may enter into an agreement to form a mutual aid law enforcement task force is a neighboring municipality, joint airport, or contiguous county.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.