HB 4023 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the exemption of certain reserve peace officers from regulation as private security personnel.

HB 4023 exempts certain reserve peace officers from Texas's private security licensing requirements when performing guard, patrol, or watch duties for local agencies or counties. It specifically applies to reserve officers in counties with populations between 250,000-650,000 located on an international border, provided their agency approves and they are compensated solely by that agency. The bill removes the need for these officers to hold a private security license for these duties, streamlining their ability to work in security roles while maintaining their reserve law enforcement status. This change takes effect September 1, 2025.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 27, 2025 Last action May 12, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · May 10, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends the Texas Occupations Code to clarify exemptions from private security licensing for certain reserve peace officers and law enforcement personnel. The changes update eligibility criteria, remove outdated references to counties, and adjust administrative approval requirements for reserve officers performing security duties.

Scope change

The bill modifies the scope of exemptions from private security licensing requirements, specifically for reserve peace officers and law enforcement personnel performing security duties.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated eligibility criteria for reserve peace officers performing security duties, removing references to county populations and replacing them with broader criteria about international border adjacency.

Changed approval authority from 'chief administrator of the agency granting reserve status' to 'chief administrative officer of the reserve peace officer's appointing law enforcement agency'.

Removed bracketed text about counties being compensated solely by that county, clarifying compensation must come from the state agency or political subdivision.

Adjusted county population criteria from 'no greater than 650,000' to 'not more than 650,000' for consistency in language.

Removed the requirement that reserve officers must be performing duties in a county with specific population limits and border location, replacing it with broader criteria about the appointing agency.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 12, 2025

Committee

Referred to Criminal Justice

upper

May 12, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

May 12, 2025

Introduced

Received from the House

upper

May 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

May 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed to engrossment

lower

May 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

May 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably as substituted

lower

May 1, 2025

Committee

Recommended to be sent to Local & Consent

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Left pending in committee

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee

lower

Mar 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

lower

Mar 27, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors