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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a border operations 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 OPERATIONS TRAINING PROGRAM. (a) |
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The department, in coordination with local law enforcement |
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agencies, shall establish and administer a border operations |
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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: |
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(A) criminal activity occurring along the |
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Texas-Mexico border, including drug trafficking and trafficking of |
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persons and other activity carried out by cartels, transnational |
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gangs, and other groups engaged in organized criminal activity; and |
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(B) methods for identifying northbound, |
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southbound, and intrastate criminal activity associated with drug |
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trafficking, trafficking of persons, and other 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) The department shall identify opportunities for a peace |
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officer described by Subsection (a) to assist in the department's |
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duties related to border operations. The department may authorize |
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the officer to assist in carrying out those duties. |
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(d) A peace officer authorized by the department to assist |
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in carrying out duties related to the department's border |
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operations as described by Subsection (c) is not entitled to |
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compensation from the department for the assistance provided. |
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(e) The department may partner with federal agencies in |
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administering the training program under Subsection (a) and |
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facilitating any assistance provided by a peace officer under |
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Subsection (c). |
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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 OPERATIONS 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 or assist in administering, the border |
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operations training program established under Section 411.02096, |
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Government Code, as a continuing education program for officers; |
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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, 2021. |