HBA-ALS H.B. 722 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 722
By: Staples
Agriculture and Livestock
4/7/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there are 12 peace officer positions in the Texas Forest Service
(TFS), with only 3 of these officers working in full-time positions.  In
the past, the TFS's responsibilities were confined to East Texas,
exclusively dealing with the investigation of wildfires and wildland arson.
Today, the TFS is responsible for the investigation of statewide wildfires,
the  investigation and prosecution of timber theft (which is now a
prevalent problem in East Texas), and training local fire departments and
enforcement personnel on those topics.  There is concern that the current
number of enforcement officer positions is not adequate to address the
increased workload on the Texas Forest Service.  H.B. 722 allows the TFS to
appoint 25 peace officers to execute its duties.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 88.103, Education Code, to authorize the
director of the Texas Forest Service (director) to appoint no more than 25,
rather than 12, Texas Forest Service employees who are certified by the
Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education as qualified
to be peace officers to serve under the director's direction as peace
officers in executing the duties of the Texas Forest Service. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.