HBA-RBT H.B. 525 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 525 By: McReynolds Public Safety 5/20/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Formerly, special agents and law enforcement officers of the National Forest Service had the right to arrest and search a person if they had probable cause to believe a felony had been committed. H.B. 525 limits these officers to the powers of arrest, search and seizure as to any crime committed in a national forest. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure, by amending Subsection (a), and adding Subsection (d), as follows: (a) Removes Special Agents and Law Enforcement Officers of the United States Forest Service from the list of criminal investigators of the United States who are not peace officers but have the power of arrest, search and seizure as to felony offenses under the laws of the State of Texas. Redesignates Subdivisions (8)-(12) to (7)-(11). (d) Provides that a Special Agent or Law Enforcement Officer of the United States Forest Service is not a peace officer, except that such an agent or officer has the powers of arrest, search, and seizure as to any violation of Texas law committed within the National Forest System. Provides that "National Forest System" has the meaning assigned by 16 U.S.C. Section 1609, which defines it as including "all national forest lands reserved or withdrawn from the public domain of the United States, all national forest lands acquired through purchase, exchange, donation, or other means, the national grasslands and land utilization projects administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act [7 U.S.C.A. Section 1010 et seq.], and other lands, waters, or interests therein which are administered by the Forest Service or are designated for administration through the Forest Service as a part of the system." SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.