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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a border volunteer training program for peace officers |
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employed by local law enforcement agencies. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 411.02096 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 411.02096. BORDER VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM; |
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COMMISSION. (a) The department, in coordination with local law |
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enforcement agencies, shall establish and administer a border |
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volunteer training program for peace officers employed by local law |
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enforcement agencies that will prepare the officers to: |
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(1) collaborate and cooperate with and assist any law |
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enforcement agency in the interdiction, investigation, and |
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prosecution of criminal activity in the Texas-Mexico border region; |
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and |
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(2) collaborate and cooperate with and assist district |
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attorneys, county attorneys, the border prosecution unit, and other |
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prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of allegations of |
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criminal activity in the Texas-Mexico border region. |
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(b) The training program under Subsection (a) must include: |
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(1) information on criminal activity occurring along |
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the Texas-Mexico border, including drug trafficking and |
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trafficking of persons and other activity carried out by cartels, |
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transnational gangs, and other groups engaged in organized criminal |
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activity; |
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(2) best practices for investigating and prosecuting |
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the criminal activity described by Subdivision (1) and securing the |
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Texas-Mexico border; and |
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(3) an overview of the department's operations at the |
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Texas-Mexico border, including any collaboration with the United |
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States Customs and Border Protection. |
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(c) If a peace officer described by Subsection (a) |
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successfully completes the training program under this section and |
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volunteers to assist the department and the United States Customs |
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and Border Protection with securing the Texas-Mexico border, the |
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department may: |
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(1) commission the officer as an officer of the |
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department; and |
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(2) deploy the officer to assist the department and, |
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as applicable, the United States Customs and Border Protection, in |
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securing the Texas-Mexico border. |
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(d) A commission under Subsection (c) expires as determined |
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by the department. The department is not required to comply with |
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Section 1701.303, Occupations Code, with respect to a peace officer |
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commissioned under Subsection (c). |
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(e) A volunteer peace officer deployed by the department |
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under Subsection (c) is not entitled to compensation for the |
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assistance provided. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter H, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 1701.359 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1701.359. BORDER VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM. The |
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commission may: |
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(1) recognize, or with the consent of the Department |
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of Public Safety administer, the border volunteer training program |
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established under Section 411.02096, Government Code, as a |
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continuing education program for officers; and |
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(2) credit an officer who successfully completes the |
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program described by Subdivision (1) with the appropriate number of |
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continuing education hours. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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