Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB502 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Perry S.B. No. 502
2		-	(Orr, Manuel)
3	2
4	3
5	4
6	5
7	6		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	7		AN ACT
9	8		relating to peace officers commissioned by the Health and Human
10	9		Services Commission's office of inspector general.
11	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	11		SECTION 1. Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
13	12		amended to read as follows:
14	13		Art. 2A.001. PEACE OFFICERS GENERALLY. The following are
15	14		peace officers:
16	15		(1) a sheriff, a sheriff's deputy, or a reserve deputy
17	16		sheriff who holds a permanent peace officer license issued under
18	17		Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
19	18		(2) a constable, a deputy constable, or a reserve
20	19		deputy constable who holds a permanent peace officer license issued
21	20		under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
22	21		(3) a marshal or police officer of a municipality or a
23	22		reserve municipal police officer who holds a permanent peace
24	23		officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
25	24		(4) a ranger, officer, or member of the reserve
26	25		officer corps commissioned by the Public Safety Commission and the
27	26		director of the Department of Public Safety;
28	27		(5) an investigator of a district attorney's, criminal
29	28		district attorney's, or county attorney's office;
30	29		(6) a law enforcement agent of the Texas Alcoholic
31	30		Beverage Commission;
32	31		(7) a member of an arson investigating unit
33	32		commissioned by a municipality, a county, or the state;
34	33		(8) an officer commissioned under Section 37.081,
35	34		Education Code, or Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code;
36	35		(9) an officer commissioned by the Texas Facilities
37	36		Commission;
38	37		(10) a law enforcement officer commissioned by the
39	38		Parks and Wildlife Commission;
40	39		(11) an officer commissioned under Chapter 23,
41	40		Transportation Code;
42	41		(12) a municipal park and recreational patrol officer
43	42		or security officer;
44	43		(13) a security officer or investigator commissioned
45	44		as a peace officer by the comptroller;
46	45		(14) an officer commissioned by a water control and
47	46		improvement district under Section 49.216, Water Code;
48	47		(15) an officer commissioned by a board of trustees
49	48		under Chapter 54, Transportation Code;
50	49		(16) an investigator commissioned by the Texas Medical
51	50		Board;
52	51		(17) an officer commissioned by:
53	52		(A) the board of managers of the Dallas County
54	53		Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital District, the Bexar
55	54		County Hospital District, or the El Paso County Hospital District
56	55		under Section 281.057, Health and Safety Code;
57	56		(B) the board of directors of the Ector County
58	57		Hospital District under Section 1024.117, Special District Local
59	58		Laws Code;
60	59		(C) the board of directors of the Midland County
61	60		Hospital District of Midland County, Texas, under Section 1061.121,
62	61		Special District Local Laws Code; or
63	62		(D) the board of hospital managers of the Lubbock
64	63		County Hospital District of Lubbock County, Texas, under Section
65	64		1053.113, Special District Local Laws Code;
66	65		(18) a county park ranger commissioned under
67	66		Subchapter E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
68	67		(19) an investigator employed by the Texas Racing
69	68		Commission;
70	69		(20) an officer commissioned under Chapter 554,
71	70		Occupations Code;
72	71		(21) an officer commissioned by the governing body of
73	72		a metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 451.108,
74	73		Transportation Code, or a regional transportation authority under
75	74		Section 452.110, Transportation Code;
76	75		(22) an investigator commissioned by the attorney
77	76		general under Section 402.009, Government Code;
78	77		(23) a security officer or investigator commissioned
79	78		as a peace officer under Chapter 466, Government Code;
80	79		(24) an officer appointed by an appellate court under
81	80		Subchapter F, Chapter 53, Government Code;
82	81		(25) an officer commissioned by the state fire marshal
83	82		under Chapter 417, Government Code;
84	83		(26) an investigator commissioned by the commissioner
85	84		of insurance under Section 701.104, Insurance Code;
86	85		(27) an apprehension specialist or inspector general
87	86		commissioned by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department as an officer
88	87		under Section 242.102 or 243.052, Human Resources Code;
89	88		(28) an officer appointed by the inspector general of
90	89		the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.019,
91	90		Government Code;
92	91		(29) an investigator commissioned by the Texas
93	92		Commission on Law Enforcement under Section 1701.160, Occupations
94	93		Code;
95	94		(30) a fire marshal or any related officer, inspector,
96	95		or investigator commissioned by a county under Subchapter B,
97	96		Chapter 352, Local Government Code;
98	97		(31) a fire marshal or any officer, inspector, or
99	98		investigator commissioned by an emergency services district under
100	99		Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code;
101	100		(32) an officer commissioned by the State Board of
102	101		Dental Examiners under Section 254.013, Occupations Code, subject
103	102		to the limitations imposed by that section; [and]
104	103		(33) an investigator commissioned by the Texas
105	104		Juvenile Justice Department as an officer under Section 221.011,
106	105		Human Resources Code; and
107	106		(34) an officer commissioned and employed by the
108	107		Health and Human Services Commission's office of inspector general.
109	108		SECTION 2. Section 544.0107, Government Code, as effective
110	109		April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as
111	110		follows:
112	111		(d) The office of inspector general shall ensure a peace
113	112		officer employed under this section is compensated according to
114	113		Schedule C of the position classification salary schedule
115	114		prescribed by the General Appropriations Act.
116	115		SECTION 3. Section 659.301(5), Government Code, is amended
117	116		to read as follows:
118	117		(5) "State employee" means an individual who:
119	118		(A) is a commissioned law enforcement officer of
120	119		the Department of Public Safety, the Texas Facilities Commission,
121	120		the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Texas Department of
122	121		Criminal Justice, the attorney general, [or] the insurance fraud
123	122		unit of the Texas Department of Insurance, or the Health and Human
124	123		Services Commission's office of inspector general;
125	124		(B) is a commissioned security officer of the
126	125		comptroller;
127	126		(C) is a law enforcement officer commissioned by
128	127		the Parks and Wildlife Commission;
129	128		(D) is a commissioned peace officer of an
130	129		institution of higher education;
131	130		(E) is an employee or official of the Board of
132	131		Pardons and Paroles or the parole division of the Texas Department
133	132		of Criminal Justice if the employee or official has routine direct
134	133		contact with inmates of any penal or correctional institution or
135	134		with administratively released prisoners subject to the board's
136	135		jurisdiction;
137	136		(F) has been certified to the Employees
138	137		Retirement System of Texas under Section 815.505 as having begun
139	138		employment as a law enforcement officer or custodial officer,
140	139		unless the individual has been certified to the system as having
141	140		ceased employment as a law enforcement officer or custodial
142	141		officer;
143	142		(G) before May 29, 1987, received hazardous duty
144	143		pay based on the terms of any state law if the individual holds a
145	144		position designated under that law as eligible for the pay; or
146	145		(H) is a security officer employed by the Texas
147	146		Military Department.
148	147		SECTION 4. Section 661.918(a), Government Code, is amended
149	148		to read as follows:
150	149		(a) This section applies to a peace officer under Article
151	150		2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, who is commissioned as a law
152	151		enforcement officer or agent, including a ranger, by:
153	152		(1) the Public Safety Commission and the director of
154	153		the Department of Public Safety;
155	154		(2) the Parks and Wildlife Commission;
156	155		(3) the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission;
157	156		(4) the attorney general;
158	157		(5) the insurance fraud unit of the Texas Department
159	158		of Insurance; [or]
160	159		(6) the comptroller; or
161	160		(7) the Health and Human Services Commission's office
162	161		of inspector general.
163	162		SECTION 5. (a) The classification officer in the office of
164	163		the state auditor shall classify the position of commissioned peace
165	164		officer employed as an investigator by the Health and Human
166	165		Services Commission's office of inspector general as a Schedule C
167	166		position under the position classification plan maintained under
168	167		Chapter 654, Government Code.
169	168		(b) The change made by the classification officer as
170	169		required by this section applies beginning with the state fiscal
171	170		biennium beginning September 1, 2025.
172	171		(c) This section expires September 1, 2027.
173	172		SECTION 6. Section 661.918(a), Government Code, as amended
174	173		by this Act, applies only to an injury that occurs on or after the
175	174		effective date of this Act.
176	175		SECTION 7. It is the intent of the 89th Legislature, Regular
177	176		Session, 2025, that the amendments made by this Act to Article
178	177		2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, be harmonized with another Act
179	178		of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, relating to
180	179		nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes.
181	180		SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.