HBA-EVB S.B. 734 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 734
By: Armbrister
Public Safety
4/29/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas law limits the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to
commissioning and employing no more than five commissioned peace officers
at any one time. Because of expanded responsibilities under the Medicaid
fraud program over the years, increased demand for assistance to the
prosecutors' assistance division, and an increased number of investigations
by internal security and investigations of theft of state property, OAG has
not been able to perform all of its statutory responsibilities with only
five commissioned peace officers.  S.B. 734 removes the cap on the number
of commissioned peace officers that OAG is permitted to commission and
employ, while leaving in place the statutory limitations on the purposes
for which such officers may be used. 

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 402.009, Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 402.009.  AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY AND COMMISSION PEACE OFFICERS.
Authorizes the attorney general to employ and commission peace officers as
investigators for the limited purpose of assisting the attorney general in
carrying out the duties of that office relating to prosecution assistance
and crime prevention.  Deletes text prohibiting the attorney general from
employing and commissioning as peace officers more than five persons at any
one time for such purposes. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.