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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the Texas border enforcement |
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coordination program; making appropriations. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 421, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter G to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER G. TEXAS BORDER ENFORCEMENT COORDINATION PROGRAM |
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Sec. 421.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Border county" means a county that: |
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(A) borders the United Mexican States; or |
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(B) is adjacent to a county that borders the |
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United Mexican States. |
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(2) "Texas Anti-Gang Center" means a Texas Anti-Gang |
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Center that is wholly or partly funded through the office of the |
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governor. |
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Sec. 421.102. BORDER COUNTY SHERIFFS' LIAISON AND TEXAS |
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ANTI-GANG CENTERS' LIAISON. (a) The governor shall appoint the |
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sheriff of a border county to serve as the border county sheriffs' |
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liaison. |
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(b) The governor shall appoint the executive head of a Texas |
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Anti-Gang Center to serve as the Texas Anti-Gang Centers' liaison. |
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(c) A liaison appointed under Subsection (a) or (b) serves a |
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two-year term. |
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(d) A liaison appointed under Subsection (a) or (b) may |
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designate another individual to act as the liaison. |
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(e) Each liaison appointed under this section shall work |
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with each other and with the following individual and entities |
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regarding interagency coordination, communication, and cooperation |
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on border enforcement-related matters and activities: |
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(1) the Special Advisor to the Governor on Border |
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Matters; |
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(2) the Texas Department of Public Safety; |
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(3) the Texas Military Department; and |
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(4) the Texas Division of Emergency Management. |
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Sec. 421.103. INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. Each |
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sheriff's department for a border county and each Texas Anti-Gang |
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Center shall, with money appropriated by the state, acquire the |
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technology necessary to implement, and shall implement, a |
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multimedia interoperable communication system that enables |
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real-time communication and sharing of information between: |
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(1) each sheriff's department for a border county; |
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(2) each Texas Anti-Gang Center; |
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(3) the Texas Department of Public Safety; |
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(4) the Texas Military Department; and |
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(5) the Texas Division of Emergency Management. |
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Sec. 421.104. TEXAS BORDER ENFORCEMENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. |
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(a) This section applies only to a sheriff's department for a |
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county that borders the United Mexican States. |
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(b) The sheriff of each county to which this section applies |
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shall establish and supervise in the county the Texas border |
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enforcement volunteer program. |
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(c) The sheriff shall appoint volunteers for the program to: |
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(1) assist the sheriff's department in monitoring the |
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portion of the Texas-Mexico border adjacent to the county; |
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(2) identify the unlawful entry of individuals or |
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objects at a location other than a port of entry; and |
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(3) communicate the location of the unlawful entry and |
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other information necessary to assist the sheriff's department in |
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arresting or detaining the individual or interdicting the object. |
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(d) The sheriff may not appoint an individual to be a |
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volunteer unless the individual: |
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(1) has been a resident of the county for at least the |
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four years preceding the date of appointment; |
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(2) has not been convicted of a felony; |
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(3) is at least 21 years of age; and |
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(4) is determined by the sheriff to be an individual of |
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upstanding moral character in the county. |
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(e) A volunteer may not arrest or detain an individual.Statutes affected:
Introduced: ()
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