HBA-DMH H.B. 1149 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1149
By: Martinez Fischer
Public Safety
2/28/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Protecting the safety of students around school crossing zones is a matter
of concern and importance. Currently, peace officers commissioned by a
school district do not have the authority to enforce certain traffic laws
in a school crossing zone.  House Bill 1149 gives peace officers
commissioned by a school district this authority. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1149 amends the Transportation Code to authorize a peace officer
commissioned by the board of trustees of a school district (board) to
arrest without warrant a person found committing certain traffic violations
in a school crossing zone of a school in the district that commissioned the
officer, if the board determines that: 
_the jurisdiction of such peace officers includes school crossing zones;
and  
_enforcement in a school crossing zone is within the scope of the on-duty
law enforcement activities of school district peace officers. 
The bill sets forth provisions regarding training requirements that must be
met by a school district peace officer for the officer to use a radar or
laser unit to detect or measure the speed of a motor vehicle. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.