Certain medical corporations in specified large municipalities may employ and commission security or police personnel, and commissioned officers have peace-officer powers within the section’s jurisdiction.
Sec. 51.214. SECURITY OFFICERS FOR MEDICAL CORPORATIONS IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (a) In any municipality with a population of 1.18 million or more located primarily in a county with a population of 2.5 million or more, the governing board of a private, nonprofit medical corporation, or of the parent corporation of such medical corporation, that provides police or security services for an institution of higher education or a private postsecondary educational institution located within one of the medical corporation's or parent corporation's medical complexes, or that provides police or security services for another medical complex legally affiliated with or owned, leased, managed, or controlled by the medical corporation or parent corporation, may employ and commission police or security personnel to enforce the law of this state within the jurisdiction designated by Subsection (c). (b) An officer commissioned under this section may make arrests and has all the powers, privileges, and immunities of a peace officer while performing the officer's assigned duties within the jurisdiction designated by Subsection (c). An officer assigned to duty and commissioned shall take and file the oath required of peace officers and shall execute and file a good and sufficient bond in the sum of $1,000, payable to the governor, with two or more good and sufficient sureties, conditioned that the officer will fairly, impartially, and faithfully perform the duties required of the officer by law. The bond may be sued on from time to time in the name of the person injured until the whole amount is recovered. (c) The jurisdiction of an officer commissioned under this section is limited to: (1) property under the control and jurisdiction of the private, nonprofit medical corporation or its parent corporation or any entity legally affiliated with or owned, leased, managed, or controlled by the medical corporation or its parent corporation; (2) a street or alley that abuts the property or an easement in or a right-of-way over or through the property described by Subdivision (1); and (3) any other location in which the officer is performing duties assigned to the officer by the private, nonprofit medical corporation or its parent corporation, regardless of whether the officer is on property under the control and jurisdiction of the medical corporation or its parent corporation, provided that the assigned duties are consistent with the mission of the medical corporation or its parent corporation and are being performed within a county in which the medical corporation or its parent corporation owns real property. (d) An officer commissioned under this section is not entitled to compensation or benefits provided by this state or a political subdivision of this state. (e) The state or a political subdivision of this state is not liable for an act or omission of an officer commissioned under this section during the performance of the officer's assigned duties. (f) A person may not be commissioned under this section unless the person obtains a peace officer license issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The employing medical corporation or parent corporation shall pay to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement on behalf of an employee any fees that are necessary to obtain a required license. (g) A person's commission and any authority to act as an officer under this section are automatically revoked if the person's employment is terminated for any reason. Added by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1810, ch. 399, Sec. 1, eff. June 11, 1981. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 8, Sec. 1, eff. March 31, 1995; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 669, Sec. 10, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1266, Sec. 9.01(a), eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1229 (S.B. 1735), Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1163 (H.B. 2702), Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 93 (S.B. 686), Sec. 2.13, eff. May 18, 2013. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 644 (H.B. 4559), Sec. 22, eff. September 1, 2023.