The board of regents and a municipality may make a written agreement to let system peace officers assist city police, but the agreement needs attorney general approval to be valid. The system also has parking-related powers on its property.
Sec. 107.82. ASSISTANCE TO CITY POLICE. (a) The board of regents and the governing body of a municipality in which a component institution of the system is located may enter into written agreements, authorized by resolution of each governing body, to authorize the regular employed peace officers of the system to assist the peace officers of the municipality in enforcing the laws of the state and the ordinances of the municipality at any location in the municipality. (b) To be valid, an agreement under Subsection (a) of this section must be approved by the attorney general. (c) While acting pursuant to the agreement in Subsection (a) and when such act is outside the property of the system or outside any public street running through, adjacent to, or within property owned or occupied and controlled by the system, the peace officers of the system are under the jurisdiction and command of the chief of police of the municipality. (d) Neither the state nor the system is liable for actions of a campus police officer acting under the jurisdiction and command of the chief of police of the municipality. (e) The system has jurisdiction over its personnel and students upon property owned by the system to the extent that it may: (1) assign and regulate parking spaces for its use and charge and collect appropriate fees for parking and improper parking; (2) prohibit parking where it deems necessary; and (3) set and collect fees for and remove vehicles parked in violation of its rules and regulations or the laws of the State of Texas. Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 892, ch. 317, Sec. 2, eff. Aug. 31, 1981. Amended by: Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 145 (S.B. 1126), Sec. 17, eff. May 26, 2021.