HBA-NLM H.B. 122 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 122 By: Keel Criminal Jurisprudence 2/26/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, probable cause alone is insufficient for a peace officer to make a felony arrest without a warrant. Under federal law, probable cause is all that is required for arrests, but Texas statutes require probable cause plus other factors such as the suspect's imminent escape. H.B.122 authorizes a peace officer to arrest an offender without a warrant, if the peace office has probable cause to believe that a felony has been committed and that exigent circumstances exists. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 14.04, Code of Criminal Procedure, to authorize a peace officer who has probable cause to believe that a felony has been committed and that exigent circumstances exist to make an arrest without a warrant. Deletes language referring to probability of escape, timeliness of procuring a warrant and information from a credible person as conditions of arrest without a warrant. Makes nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.