Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB48 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	89R21832 AJZ-D
2		-	By: Darby, Morales of Maverick, Craddick, H.B. No. 48
3		-	Landgraf
4		-	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 48:
5		-	By: Darby C.S.H.B. No. 48
	1	+	89R14544 AJZ-F
	2	+	By: Darby H.B. No. 48
	3	+
	4	+
6	5
7	6
8	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
9	8		AN ACT
10	9		relating to the creation of an organized oilfield theft prevention
11	10		unit within the Department of Public Safety.
12	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	12		SECTION 1. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by
14	13		adding Subchapter C-1 to read as follows:
15	14		SUBCHAPTER C-1. ORGANIZED OILFIELD THEFT PREVENTION UNIT
16	15		Sec. 411.035. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
17	16		(1) "Oil and gas equipment" means machinery, drilling
18	17		equipment, welding equipment, pipe, fittings, pumps, vehicles, or
19	18		other equipment used in the drilling or maintenance of oil and gas
20	19		wells, in the production of oil and gas, or to transport petroleum
21	20		products.
22	21		(2) "Petroleum product" has the meaning assigned by
23	22		Section 31.19(a), Penal Code.
24	23		(3) "Unit" means the organized oilfield theft
25	24		prevention unit established under this subchapter.
26	25		Sec. 411.036. ORGANIZED OILFIELD THEFT PREVENTION UNIT.
27	26		(a) The director shall create an organized oilfield theft
28	27		prevention unit to be operated by the department.
29		-	(b) The unit ~~may~~ investigate and arrest individuals
	28	+	(b) The unit shall investigate and arrest individuals
30	29		determined to have committed an offense under:
31	30		(1) Section 31.19, Penal Code; or
32	31		(2) Section 31.03, Penal Code, if the unlawfully
33	32		appropriated property includes oil and gas equipment.
34	33		(c) The unit shall coordinate with federal, state, and local
35	34		law enforcement agencies, attorneys representing the state, the
36	35		Railroad Commission of Texas, and any person who is a victim of an
37	36		offense described by Subsection (b) as necessary to carry out the
38	37		duties of the unit.
39	38		(d) The director shall designate a command structure within
40	39		the department to supervise the operations of the unit.
41	40		(e) The director shall adopt rules, subject to commission
42	41		approval, as necessary for the control and general administration
43	42		of the unit, including rules:
44	43		(1) governing the procurement of facilities and
45	44		equipment for the unit;
46	45		(2) regarding required training for unit personnel;
47	46		and
48	47		(3) regarding working conditions of unit personnel.
49		-	Sec. 411.037. JURISDICTION; HEADQUARTERS. ~~(a)~~ The unit
50		-	~~has~~ statewide jurisdiction but shall operate primarily within the
	48	+	Sec. 411.037. JURISDICTION; HEADQUARTERS. The unit has
	49	+	statewide jurisdiction but shall operate primarily within the
51	50		designated region of the department that is adjacent to the
52	51		international border and contains the city of El Paso. The unit's
53	52		headquarters must be located in that region.
54		-	(b) The department, subject to commission approval, may
55		-	establish in any department region one or more additional regional
56		-	offices of the unit to assist in the duties of the unit.
57	53		Sec. 411.038. UNIT DUTIES. The unit, together with the
58	54		department, shall:
59	55		(1) develop and deploy to local law enforcement
60	56		agencies specialized training, resources, and policing strategies
61	57		tailored to investigating and preventing offenses described by
62	58		Section 411.036(b);
63	59		(2) conduct public outreach and awareness initiatives
64	60		to educate industry professionals and communities regarding
65	61		offenses described by Section 411.036(b); and
66	62		(3) maintain a centralized database for tracking
67	63		offenses described by Section 411.036(b) and related criminal
68	64		enterprises.
69	65		Sec. 411.039. BIENNIAL REPORT. Not later than January 1 of
70	66		each odd-numbered year, the department shall prepare and submit to
71	67		the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
72	68		representatives, and each standing committee of the legislature
73	69		with primary jurisdiction over natural resources or criminal
74	70		justice matters a written report that:
75	71		(1) summarizes the unit's activities and evaluates the
76	72		unit's effectiveness during the preceding two-year period,
77	73		including by providing statistics regarding any arrests made by the
78	74		unit and any prosecutions that resulted from those arrests or
79	75		assets that were recovered as a result of those arrests; and
80	76		(2) provides recommendations for legislative or
81	77		administrative action to improve the effectiveness of the unit.
82	78		SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2025, the public
83	79		safety director of the Department of Public Safety of the State of
84	80		Texas shall adopt rules necessary to implement Subchapter C-1,
85	81		Chapter 411, Government Code, as added by this Act.
86	82		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
87	83		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
88	84		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
89	85		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
90	86		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.