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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the investigation of certain motor vehicle collisions |
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by former peace officers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Section 550.041, Transportation |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 550.041. INVESTIGATION BY PEACE OFFICER OR DESIGNEE OF |
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LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. |
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SECTION 2. Section 550.041, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) A former peace officer who is designated by a law |
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enforcement agency and who has successfully completed a training |
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program on investigating motor vehicle collisions approved by the |
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Texas Commission on Law Enforcement may investigate a motor vehicle |
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collision, without regard to whether the collision occurred on |
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property to which this chapter applies, if: |
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(1) no offense was committed during the collision; and |
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(2) no injury or death of a person occurred as a result |
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of the collision. |
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SECTION 3. The heading to Section 550.062, Transportation |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 550.062. OFFICER'S OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY |
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DESIGNEE'S COLLISION REPORT. |
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SECTION 4. Section 550.062, Transportation Code, is amended |
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by adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsections (b), (b-1), and |
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(c) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) A former peace officer who is designated by a law |
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enforcement agency to investigate a motor vehicle collision in |
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accordance with Section 550.041(c) shall make a written report |
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summarizing the findings of the investigation. |
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(b) The report required by Subsection (a) or (a-1) must be |
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filed electronically with the department not later than the 10th |
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day after the date of the collision. |
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(b-1) If the motor vehicle collision involved a combination |
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of vehicles operating under a permit issued under Section 623.402, |
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the report required by Subsection (a) or (a-1) must include the |
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weight and the number of axles of the vehicle combination. |
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(c) This section applies without regard to whether the |
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officer or former peace officer designated by a law enforcement |
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agency, as applicable, investigates the collision at the location |
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of the collision and immediately after the collision or afterwards |
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by interviewing those involved in the collision or witnesses to the |
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collision. |
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SECTION 5. Section 550.068, Transportation Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 550.068. CHANGING COLLISION REPORT. (a) Except as |
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provided by Subsection (b), a change in or a modification of a |
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written report of a motor vehicle collision prepared by a peace |
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officer or former peace officer designated by a law enforcement |
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agency that alters a material fact in the report may be made only by |
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the peace officer or former peace officer, as applicable, who |
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prepared the report. |
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(b) A change in or a modification of the written report of |
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the collision may be made by a person other than the peace officer |
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or former peace officer, as applicable, who prepared the report if: |
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(1) the change is made by a written supplement to the |
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report; and |
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(2) the written supplement clearly indicates the name |
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of the person who originated the change. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |