HBA-DMD C.S.H.B. 1087 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1087
By: Driver
Public Safety
4/19/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Department of Public Safety (department) enforces the
federal motor carrier safety regulations and federal hazardous materials
regulations. Under current law, the enforcement of these regulations is
permitted by a peace officer in a city with a population of 100,000 or more
or a city of 25,000 or more in a county with a population of 2.4 million or
more.  

C.S.H.B. 1087 requires the department to establish procedures, including
training, for the certification of sheriffs and sheriff's deputies.  This
bill provides that a sheriff or sheriff's deputy of a county with a
population of 270,000 or more is eligible for certification under this
section.  This bill also requires the department to establish reasonable
fees sufficient to recover from a county, as appropriate, the cost of
certifying its sheriffs or sheriff's deputies. It authorizes the department
to establish uniform standards for county enforcement of this chapter.
C.S.H.B. 1087 authorizes a sheriff or sheriff's deputy to detain a motor
vehicle on a highway within the county territory.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority previously delegated to the Department of Public Safety is
modified in SECTION 1 (Section 644.101, Transportation Code) and in SECTION
2 (Section 644.102, Transportation Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 644.101, Transportation Code, as follows:

Sec. 644.101. New Title:  CERTIFICATION OF MUNICIPAL POLICE OFFICERS AND
SHERIFFS OR SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES. (a) Requires the Department of Public
Safety (department) to establish procedures, including training, for the
certification of sheriffs and sheriff's deputies.   

(b) Provides that a police officer of a municipality of 25,000 or more any
part of which is located in a county with a population of 1.8, rather than
2.4, million or more is eligible to apply for certification under this
section. 

(c) Provides that a sheriff or sheriff's deputy of a county with a
population of 270,000 or more is eligible for certification under this
section. Provides that a sheriff's deputy must be recertified biennially in
order to enforce this chapter. 

(d) Requires the department, by rule, to establish reasonable fees
sufficient to recover from a county as appropriate, the cost of certifying
its sheriffs or sheriff's deputies. Creates from existing text. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 644.102, Transportation Code, as follows:

Sec. 644.102. New Title: MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY ENFORCEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
Authorizes the Department of Public Safety, by rule, to establish uniform
standards for county enforcement of this chapter.  Provides that a county
must adopt the uniform standards of enforcement under this chapter, before
enforcing this chapter.  Includes a county auditor as a department that
must determine amount in fines that a county is authorized to retain, which
cannot be more than 110 percent of the county's actual expenses for
enforcement of this chapter in the preceding year, after reviewing the most
recent county audit under Section 115.045 (Annual Independent Audit in
Counties With Population of 350,000 or More), Local Government Code.  Makes
conforming changes. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 644.103, Transportation Code, by adding
Subsection (d), to authorize a sheriff or sheriff's deputy who is certified
under Section 644.101 (Certification of Municipal Police Officers) to
detain a motor vehicle that is subject to this chapter, on a highway within
the county territory.  

SECTION 4. (a)  Provides that in accordance with Section 311.031(c),
Government Code, which gives effect to the text of Section 644.101,
Transportation Code, as set out in this Act, gives effect to changes made
by Chapter 364 and Chapter 1061, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1997, a substantive amendment enacted by the same legislature that
codifies the amended statute. 

(b)  Provides that, to the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails over
another Act of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, relating to
nonsubstantive additions and corrections in enacted codes.  

SECTION 5.Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 6.Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

This substitute differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 (Section
644.101, Transportation Code), by providing that a police officer of a
municipality of 25,000 or more any part of which is located in a county
with a population of 1.8, rather than 2.4, million or more is eligible to
apply for certification under this section. This substitute also provides
that a sheriff or sheriff's deputy of a county with a population of
270,000, rather than 500,000, or more is eligible for certification under
this section and that a sheriff's deputy must be recertified biennially in
order to enforce this chapter. 

This substitute differs from the original bill in SECTION 2 (Section
644.102, Transportation Code), by providing that a county must adopt the
uniform standards of enforcement under this chapter, before enforcing this
chapter.