Relating to peace officers commissioned by the Health and Human Services Commission's office of inspector general.
Summary
SB 502 expands the list of Texas peace officers to include officers commissioned and employed by the Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General (HHSC OIG). It also directs the office of the state auditor to classify those commissioned investigator positions as Schedule C positions under the state position classification plan, with the change applying beginning with the fiscal biennium starting September 1, 2025, and expiring September 1, 2027.
The bill further updates several state personnel and benefits provisions to treat HHSC OIG commissioned law enforcement officers like other state law enforcement officers. It adds them to the definition of “state employee” for purposes of state employee benefits and includes them in the statute governing injury-related benefits for certain peace officers, with the injury coverage change applying only to injuries occurring on or after the bill’s effective date. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.
Impact
SB 502 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure and multiple Government Code provisions to formally recognize HHSC OIG commissioned officers as peace officers and align their compensation and benefits with comparable state law enforcement positions. The bill affects Article 2A.001, the state employee definition in Section 659.301, and the injury-benefit provision in Section 661.918, while also creating a temporary classification directive for the state auditor and compensation requirement tied to Schedule C under the General Appropriations Act.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate unanimously and the House overwhelmingly, with only a small number of no votes on second reading and final House passage by a wide margin. The available record shows no committee transcript opposition or significant debate, suggesting general agreement that HHSC OIG officers should be treated consistently with other peace officers for classification, compensation, and benefits purposes.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available materials. The main policy issue is whether HHSC OIG commissioned investigators should receive peace officer status and the associated state compensation and benefit treatment, including Schedule C classification and injury coverage. Any concern would likely center on the fiscal and personnel implications of extending these protections, but the recorded votes indicate that such concerns did not generate major opposition.
Relating to measures for ensuring public school safety, including the commissioning of peace officers by the Texas Education Agency, public school safety and security requirements, and the provision of safety-related resources.