AI-assisted research summary: The port commission may adopt, change, repeal, and enforce security-related ordinances, rules, or police regulations, and it must follow specified Water Code procedures when doing so.
Sec. 5016.0103. SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. (a) The port commission may adopt, amend, repeal, and enforce an ordinance, rule, or police regulation necessary to: (1) protect, secure, and defend the ship channels and waterways in the authority's jurisdiction and facilities served by those ship channels and waterways; (2) promote the health, safety, and general welfare of any person using the ship channels and waterways in the authority's jurisdiction; or (3) comply with a federal law or regulation or implement a directive or standard of the federal government, including the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Coast Guard, relating to securing ship channels and waterways and facilities served by ship channels and waterways and preventing terrorist attacks on ship channels, waterways, associated maritime facilities, and other facilities served by ship channels and waterways. (b) In the enforcement of an authority ordinance, rule, or police regulation, a sheriff, constable, or other licensed peace officer or a peace officer employed or appointed by the port commission may make arrests, serve criminal warrants, subpoenas, or writs, and perform any other service or duty that may be performed by any sheriff, constable, or other licensed peace officer in enforcing other laws of this state. (c) In adopting an ordinance, rule, or police regulation under Subsection (a) of this section, the port commission shall comply with the procedures provided by Sections 60.074 and 60.075, Water Code. Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 468 (H.B. 4172), Sec. 1.01, eff. April 1, 2021.