H.B. No. 3948 aims to establish and define the role of the office of inspector general in certain municipalities in Texas, specifically those with populations exceeding 500,000 and located in counties with populations over 2.5 million. The bill amends Article 2A.001 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to include new provisions regarding peace officers, specifically adding that investigators of the office of the inspector general of a municipality can be commissioned as peace officers. Additionally, it introduces Section 26.048 to the Local Government Code, which grants the office of the inspector general the authority to investigate municipal operations, including those of the city manager and city attorney, to prevent and detect serious breaches of policy, fraud, and other criminal activities.

The bill also stipulates that the findings from such investigations must be reported to the appropriate prosecuting attorney, who will determine if further action is necessary. Furthermore, it prohibits the city manager or city attorney from impeding the operations of the inspector general's office or its commissioned investigators. The bill repeals certain previous amendments to Article 2.12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: ()
House Committee Report: ()