By: Holland H.B. No. 208
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a border operations training program for peace officers
  employed by local law enforcement agencies.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 411.02096 to read as follows:
         Sec. 411.02096.  BORDER OPERATIONS TRAINING PROGRAM. (a)  
  The department, in coordination with local law enforcement
  agencies, shall establish and administer a border operations
  training program for peace officers employed by local law
  enforcement agencies that will prepare the officers to:
               (1)  collaborate and cooperate with and assist any law
  enforcement agency in the interdiction, investigation, and
  prosecution of criminal activity in the Texas-Mexico border region;
  and
               (2)  collaborate and cooperate with and assist district
  attorneys, county attorneys, the border prosecution unit, and other
  prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of allegations of
  criminal activity in the Texas-Mexico border region.
         (b)  The training program under Subsection (a) must include:
               (1)  information on:
                     (A)  criminal activity occurring along the
  Texas-Mexico border, including drug trafficking and trafficking of
  persons and other activity carried out by cartels, transnational
  gangs, and other groups engaged in organized criminal activity; and
                     (B)  methods for identifying northbound,
  southbound, and intrastate criminal activity associated with drug
  trafficking, trafficking of persons, and other organized criminal
  activity;
               (2)  best practices for investigating and prosecuting
  the criminal activity described by Subdivision (1) and securing the
  Texas-Mexico border; and
               (3)  an overview of the department's operations at the
  Texas-Mexico border, including any collaboration with the United
  States Customs and Border Protection.
         (c)  The department shall identify opportunities for a peace
  officer described by Subsection (a) to assist in the department's
  duties related to border operations. The department may authorize
  the officer to assist in carrying out those duties.
         (d)  A peace officer authorized by the department to assist
  in carrying out duties related to the department's border
  operations as described by Subsection (c) is not entitled to
  compensation from the department for the assistance provided.
         (e)  The department may partner with federal agencies in
  administering the training program under Subsection (a) and
  facilitating any assistance provided by a peace officer under
  Subsection (c).
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter H, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 1701.359 to read as follows:
         Sec. 1701.359.  BORDER OPERATIONS TRAINING PROGRAM. The
  commission may:
               (1)  recognize, or with the consent of the Department
  of Public Safety administer or assist in administering, the border
  operations training program established under Section 411.02096,
  Government Code, as a continuing education program for officers;
  and
               (2)  credit an officer who successfully completes the
  program described by Subdivision (1) with the appropriate number of
  continuing education hours.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.