Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4419 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025S0007-1 11/22/24
2	2	By: Orr H.B. No. 4419
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to peace officers commissioned by the Health and Human
10	10	Services Commission's office of inspector general.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
13	13	amended to read as follows:
14	14	Art. 2A.001. PEACE OFFICERS GENERALLY. The following are
15	15	peace officers:
16	16	(1) a sheriff, a sheriff's deputy, or a reserve deputy
17	17	sheriff who holds a permanent peace officer license issued under
18	18	Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
19	19	(2) a constable, a deputy constable, or a reserve
20	20	deputy constable who holds a permanent peace officer license issued
21	21	under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
22	22	(3) a marshal or police officer of a municipality or a
23	23	reserve municipal police officer who holds a permanent peace
24	24	officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
25	25	(4) a ranger, officer, or member of the reserve
26	26	officer corps commissioned by the Public Safety Commission and the
27	27	director of the Department of Public Safety;
28	28	(5) an investigator of a district attorney's, criminal
29	29	district attorney's, or county attorney's office;
30	30	(6) a law enforcement agent of the Texas Alcoholic
31	31	Beverage Commission;
32	32	(7) a member of an arson investigating unit
33	33	commissioned by a municipality, a county, or the state;
34	34	(8) an officer commissioned under Section 37.081,
35	35	Education Code, or Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code;
36	36	(9) an officer commissioned by the Texas Facilities
37	37	Commission;
38	38	(10) a law enforcement officer commissioned by the
39	39	Parks and Wildlife Commission;
40	40	(11) an officer commissioned under Chapter 23,
41	41	Transportation Code;
42	42	(12) a municipal park and recreational patrol officer
43	43	or security officer;
44	44	(13) a security officer or investigator commissioned
45	45	as a peace officer by the comptroller;
46	46	(14) an officer commissioned by a water control and
47	47	improvement district under Section 49.216, Water Code;
48	48	(15) an officer commissioned by a board of trustees
49	49	under Chapter 54, Transportation Code;
50	50	(16) an investigator commissioned by the Texas Medical
51	51	Board;
52	52	(17) an officer commissioned by:
53	53	(A) the board of managers of the Dallas County
54	54	Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital District, the Bexar
55	55	County Hospital District, or the El Paso County Hospital District
56	56	under Section 281.057, Health and Safety Code;
57	57	(B) the board of directors of the Ector County
58	58	Hospital District under Section 1024.117, Special District Local
59	59	Laws Code;
60	60	(C) the board of directors of the Midland County
61	61	Hospital District of Midland County, Texas, under Section 1061.121,
62	62	Special District Local Laws Code; or
63	63	(D) the board of hospital managers of the Lubbock
64	64	County Hospital District of Lubbock County, Texas, under Section
65	65	1053.113, Special District Local Laws Code;
66	66	(18) a county park ranger commissioned under
67	67	Subchapter E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
68	68	(19) an investigator employed by the Texas Racing
69	69	Commission;
70	70	(20) an officer commissioned under Chapter 554,
71	71	Occupations Code;
72	72	(21) an officer commissioned by the governing body of
73	73	a metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 451.108,
74	74	Transportation Code, or a regional transportation authority under
75	75	Section 452.110, Transportation Code;
76	76	(22) an investigator commissioned by the attorney
77	77	general under Section 402.009, Government Code;
78	78	(23) a security officer or investigator commissioned
79	79	as a peace officer under Chapter 466, Government Code;
80	80	(24) an officer appointed by an appellate court under
81	81	Subchapter F, Chapter 53, Government Code;
82	82	(25) an officer commissioned by the state fire marshal
83	83	under Chapter 417, Government Code;
84	84	(26) an investigator commissioned by the commissioner
85	85	of insurance under Section 701.104, Insurance Code;
86	86	(27) an apprehension specialist or inspector general
87	87	commissioned by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department as an officer
88	88	under Section 242.102 or 243.052, Human Resources Code;
89	89	(28) an officer appointed by the inspector general of
90	90	the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.019,
91	91	Government Code;
92	92	(29) an investigator commissioned by the Texas
93	93	Commission on Law Enforcement under Section 1701.160, Occupations
94	94	Code;
95	95	(30) a fire marshal or any related officer, inspector,
96	96	or investigator commissioned by a county under Subchapter B,
97	97	Chapter 352, Local Government Code;
98	98	(31) a fire marshal or any officer, inspector, or
99	99	investigator commissioned by an emergency services district under
100	100	Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code;
101	101	(32) an officer commissioned by the State Board of
102	102	Dental Examiners under Section 254.013, Occupations Code, subject
103	103	to the limitations imposed by that section; [and]
104	104	(33) an investigator commissioned by the Texas
105	105	Juvenile Justice Department as an officer under Section 221.011,
106	106	Human Resources Code; and
107	107	(34) an officer commissioned and employed by the
108	108	Health and Human Services Commission's office of inspector general.
109	109	SECTION 2. Section 544.0107, Government Code, as effective
110	110	April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as
111	111	follows:
112	112	(d) The office of inspector general shall ensure a peace
113	113	officer employed under this section is compensated according to
114	114	Schedule C of the position classification salary schedule
115	115	prescribed by the General Appropriations Act.
116	116	SECTION 3. Section 659.301(5), Government Code, is amended
117	117	to read as follows:
118	118	(5) "State employee" means an individual who:
119	119	(A) is a commissioned law enforcement officer of
120	120	the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Facilities Commission,
121	121	the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Texas Department of
122	122	Criminal Justice, the attorney general, [or] the insurance fraud
123	123	unit of the Texas Department of Insurance, or the Health and Human
124	124	Services Commission's office of inspector general;
125	125	(B) is a commissioned security officer of the
126	126	comptroller;
127	127	(C) is a law enforcement officer commissioned by
128	128	the Parks and Wildlife Commission;
129	129	(D) is a commissioned peace officer of an
130	130	institution of higher education;
131	131	(E) is an employee or official of the Board of
132	132	Pardons and Paroles or the parole division of the Texas Department
133	133	of Criminal Justice if the employee or official has routine direct
134	134	contact with inmates of any penal or correctional institution or
135	135	with administratively released prisoners subject to the board's
136	136	jurisdiction;
137	137	(F) has been certified to the Employees
138	138	Retirement System of Texas under Section 815.505 as having begun
139	139	employment as a law enforcement officer or custodial officer,
140	140	unless the individual has been certified to the system as having
141	141	ceased employment as a law enforcement officer or custodial
142	142	officer;
143	143	(G) before May 29, 1987, received hazardous duty
144	144	pay based on the terms of any state law if the individual holds a
145	145	position designated under that law as eligible for the pay; or
146	146	(H) is a security officer employed by the Texas
147	147	Military Department.
148	148	SECTION 4. Section 661.918(a), Government Code, is amended
149	149	to read as follows:
150	150	(a) This section applies to a peace officer under Article
151	151	2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, who is commissioned as a law
152	152	enforcement officer or agent, including a ranger, by:
153	153	(1) the Public Safety Commission and the director of
154	154	the Department of Public Safety;
155	155	(2) the Parks and Wildlife Commission;
156	156	(3) the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission;
157	157	(4) the attorney general; or
158	158	(5) the insurance fraud unit of the Texas Department
159	159	of Insurance; [or]
160	160	(6) the comptroller; or
161	161	(7) the Health and Human Services Commission's office
162	162	of inspector general.
163	163	SECTION 5. (a) The classification officer in the office of
164	164	the state auditor shall classify the position of commissioned peace
165	165	officer employed as an investigator by the Health and Human
166	166	Services Commission's office of inspector general as a Schedule C
167	167	position under the position classification plan maintained under
168	168	Chapter 654, Government Code.
169	169	(b) The change made by the classification officer as
170	170	required by this section applies beginning with the state fiscal
171	171	biennium beginning September 1, 2025.
172	172	(c) This section expires September 1, 2027.
173	173	SECTION 6. Section 661.918(a), Government Code, as amended
174	174	by this Act, applies only to an injury that occurs on or after the
175	175	effective date of this Act.
176	176	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.