BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 932
87R8636 JCG-D	By: Creighton
	Veteran Affairs & Border Security
	4/1/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Illegal activities on the Texas-Mexico border have created a high demand for law enforcement personnel. These illegal activities include entering the United States illegally as well as the trafficking of people and drugs through Texas communities.

S.B. 932 establishes a voluntary training program that will allow local law enforcement officers to assist the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) along the border. The volunteer training program will allow local law enforcement officers to gain valuable experience on human trafficking and drug interdiction. This experience will give local law enforcement officers a better understanding of the processes of DPS on the Texas-Mexico border. This program will allow local law enforcement agencies to build a partnership between state and federal agencies relating to the protection of the Texas-Mexico border.

As proposed, S.B. 932 amends current law relating to a border operations training program for peace officers employed by local law enforcement agencies.

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 Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, by adding Section 411.02096, as follows:

Sec. 411.02096.� BORDER OPERATIONS TRAINING PROGRAM.� (a) Requires the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS), in coordination with local law enforcement agencies, to 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) Requires that the training program under Subsection (a) 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 operations of DPS at the Texas-Mexico border, including any collaboration with the United States Customs and Border Protection.

(c) Requires DPS to identify opportunities for a peace officer described by Subsection (a) to assist in DPS's duties related to border operations. Authorizes DPS to authorize the officer to assist in carrying out those duties.

(d) Provides that a peace officer authorized by DPS to assist in carrying out duties related to DPS's border operations as described by Subsection (c) is not entitled to compensation from DPS for the assistance provided.

(e) Authorizes DPS to 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. Amends Subchapter H, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, by adding Section 1701.359, as follows:

Sec. 1701.359.� BORDER OPERATIONS TRAINING PROGRAM.� Authorizes the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to:

(1) recognize, or with the consent of DPS 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. Effective date: September 1, 2021.