SECTION 1. Chapter 2, Code
of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding Article
2.125 to read as follows:
Art. 2.125. SPECIAL RANGERS
OF TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS ASSOCIATION.
(a) The director of the Department of Public Safety
may appoint up to 50 special rangers who are employed
by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
to aid law enforcement agencies in the investigation
of the theft of livestock or related property.
(b) Except as provided
by Subsection (c) of this article, a special ranger
may make arrests and exercise all authority given peace
officers under this code when necessary to prevent
or abate the commission of an offense involving livestock
or related property.
(c) A special ranger may
not issue a traffic citation for a violation of Chapter
521, Transportation Code, or Subtitle C, Title 7, Transportation
Code.
(d) A special ranger is
not entitled to state benefits normally provided by
the state to a peace officer.
(e) A person may not serve
as a special ranger unless:
(1) the Texas and
Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association submits the
person's application for appointment and certification
as a special ranger to the director of the Department
of Public Safety and to the executive director of the
Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and
Education;
(2) the director
of the department issues the person a certificate of
authority to act as a special ranger;
(3) the executive
director of the commission determines that the person
meets minimum standards required of peace officers
by the commission relating to competence, reliability,
education, training, morality, and physical and mental
health and issues the person a license as a special
ranger; and
(4) the person
has met all standards for certification as a peace
officer by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Education.
(f) For good cause, the
director of the department may revoke a certificate
of authority issued under this article and the executive
director of the commission may revoke a license issued
under this article. Termination of employment with
the association, or the revocation of a special ranger
license, shall constitute an automatic revocation of
a certificate of authority to act as a special ranger.
(g) The Texas and Southwestern
Cattle Raisers Association is liable for any act or
omission by a person serving as a special ranger for
the association that is within the person's scope of
employment. Neither the state nor any political subdivision
or agency of the state shall be liable for any act
or omission by a person appointed as a special ranger.
All expenses incurred by the granting or revocation
of a certificate of authority to act as a special ranger
shall be paid by the association.
(h) The director of the
department and the executive director of the commission
shall have the authority to promulgate rules necessary
for the effective administration and performance of
the duties and responsibilities delegated to them by
this article.
SECTION 2. This Act takes
effect September 1, 2005.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker
of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1695
was passed by the House on April 22, 2005, by a non-record
vote.
______________________________
Chief
Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1695
was passed by the Senate on May 12, 2005, by the following
vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary
of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor