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H.B. 155

             1     

FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AMENDMENTS

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Michael E. Noel

             5     
Senate Sponsor: David P. Hinkins

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the Public Safety Code and the Utah Criminal Code by limiting the
             10      authority of specified federal employees to exercise law enforcement authority within
             11      Utah.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    defines the "exercise of law enforcement authority";
             15          .    modifies the definition of a "federal agency" by listing specific United States'
             16      agencies;
             17          .    amends the definition of "federal employee" to include any employee or agent of a
             18      federal agency, with the exception of special agents, marshals, and inspectors of
             19      specified federal agencies;
             20          .    expands the definition of "federal land";
             21          .    amends the prohibition on federal employees exercising law enforcement authority
             22      in any county so that it requires that the federal Secretary of the Interior must have
             23      previously achieved maximum feasible reliance on the county's law enforcement
             24      agency in enforcing federal laws regarding the lands managed by the United States
             25      Bureau of Land Management;
             26          .    provides that Utah does not recognize the authority of any United States Forest
             27      Service employee who is not a certified law enforcement officer or any Bureau of


             28      Land Management employee to exercise law enforcement authority under state, local, or
             29      federally assimilated law unless:
             30              .     the offense is a violation of federal law and is consistent with the federal
             31      constitution; or
             32              .    there is an emergency, and state or local officers are not reasonably available;
             33          .    provides that employees of the United States Bureau of Land Management may not
             34      take action regarding any state or local Utah law or federal provision that is an
             35      assimilation of Utah law unless there is an emergency and a state or local law
             36      enforcement officer is not available to take action;
             37          .    provides that state and local law enforcement agencies may enter into agreements
             38      with federal agencies, but with limited, rather than concurrent, authority; and
             39          .    provides that if an employee of the United States Bureau of Land Management acts
             40      under an assimilated law other than as specified regarding an emergency, the officer
             41      is guilty of impersonation of a peace officer.
             42      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             43          None
             44      Other Special Clauses:
             45          None
             46      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             47      AMENDS:
             48          53-13-106, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 411
             49          53-13-106.5, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 411
             50          76-8-512, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1991, Chapter 210
             51     
             52      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             53          Section 1. Section 53-13-106 is amended to read:
             54           53-13-106. Federal officers -- State law enforcement authority.
             55          (1) (a) "Federal officer" includes:
             56          (i) a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
             57          (ii) a special agent of the United States Secret Service;
             58          (iii) a special agent of the United States Department of Homeland Security, excluding a


             59      customs inspector or detention removal officer;
             60          (iv) a special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms;
             61          (v) a special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration;
             62          (vi) a United States marshal, deputy marshal, and special deputy United States marshal;
             63      and
             64          (vii) a [U.S.] United States postal inspector of the United States Postal Inspection
             65      Service.
             66          (b) (i) Federal officers listed in Subsection (1)(a) have statewide law enforcement
             67      authority relating to felony offenses under the laws of this state. This Subsection (1)(b)(i) takes
             68      precedence over Subsection (2).
             69          (ii) Federal agencies and federal employees as defined in Subsection 53-13-106.5 (1)
             70      may exercise law enforcement authority related to felony offenses under Utah law only [as
             71      established by an agreement under Subsection 53-13-106.5 (7)] as authorized by and in
             72      accordance with Subsections 53-13-106.5 (2) through (8). This Subsection (1)(b)(ii) takes
             73      precedence over Subsection (2).
             74          (c) The council may designate other federal peace officers, as necessary, if the officers:
             75          (i) are persons employed full-time by the United States government as federally
             76      recognized law enforcement officers primarily responsible for the investigation and
             77      enforcement of the federal laws;
             78          (ii) have successfully completed formal law enforcement training offered by an agency
             79      of the federal government consisting of not less than 400 hours; and
             80          (iii) maintain in-service training in accordance with the standards set forth in Section
             81      53-13-103 .
             82          (2) Except as otherwise provided under Title 63L, Chapter 1, Federal Jurisdiction, and
             83      Title 77, Chapter 9, Uniform Act on Fresh Pursuit, a federal officer may exercise state law
             84      enforcement authority only if:
             85          (a) the state law enforcement agencies and county sheriffs with jurisdiction enter into
             86      an agreement with the federal agency to be given authority; and
             87          (b) except as provided in Subsection (3), each federal officer employed by the federal
             88      agency meets the waiver requirements set forth in Section 53-6-206 .
             89          (3) A federal officer working as such in the state on or before July 1, 1995, may


             90      exercise state law enforcement authority without meeting the waiver requirement.
             91          (4) At any time, consistent with any contract with a federal agency, a state or local law
             92      enforcement authority may withdraw state law enforcement authority from any individual
             93      federal officer by sending written notice to the federal agency and to the division.
             94          (5) The authority of a federal officer under this section is limited to the jurisdiction of
             95      the authorizing state or local agency, and may be further limited by the state or local agency to
             96      enforcing specific statutes, codes, or ordinances.
             97          Section 2. Section 53-13-106.5 is amended to read:
             98           53-13-106.5. State limitations on functions of federal law enforcement officers.
             99          (1) As used in this section:
             100          (a) "Exercise law enforcement authority" means:
             101          (i) to take any action on private land, state-owned land, or federally managed land, to
             102      investigate, stop, serve process, search, arrest, cite, book, or incarcerate a person for a violation
             103      of a federal, state, or local criminal justice system when the action is based on:
             104          (A) a federal statute, regulation, or rule;
             105          (B) a state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or rule; or
             106          (C) a state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or rule that has been assimilated into
             107      federal law under a federal assimilation statute; or
             108          (ii) to gain access to or use the correctional or communication facilities and equipment
             109      of any state or local law enforcement agency.
             110          [(a)] (b) "Federal agency" means a federal agency that manages federally managed
             111      land[.] or regulates activities on that land, including:
             112          (i) the United States Bureau of Land Management;
             113          (ii) the United States Forest Service;
             114          (iii) the National Park Service;
             115          (iv) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
             116          (v) the United States Bureau of Reclamation;
             117          (vi) the United States Environmental Protection Agency; and
             118          (vii) the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
             119          [(b)] (c) "Federal employee" means an employee [of:] or other agent of a federal
             120      agency, but does not include:


             121          (i) a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
             122          (ii) a special agent of the United States Secret Service;
             123          (iii) a special agent of the United States Department of Homeland Security, excluding a
             124      customs inspector or detention removal officer;
             125          (iv) a special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
             126          (v) a special agent of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration;
             127          (vi) a United States marshal, deputy marshal, or special deputy United States marshal;
             128      or
             129          (vii) a United States postal inspector of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
             130          [(i) the Bureau of Land Management;]
             131          [(ii) the United States Forest Service; or]
             132          [(iii) the National Park Service.]
             133          [(c)] (d) "Federally managed land" means land managed by the following federal
             134      agencies:
             135          (i) the United States Bureau of Land Management;
             136          (ii) the United States Forest Service; [and]
             137          (iii) the National Park Service[.];
             138          (iv) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
             139          (v) the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
             140          (2) Unless otherwise provided by Utah law, federal employees performing their duties
             141      in Utah:
             142          (a) may not exercise law enforcement authority solely because the land on which they
             143      exercise the authority is federally managed; and
             144          (b) may exercise only law enforcement authority:
             145          (i) expressly granted by federal statute; and
             146          (ii) consistent with the Constitution of the United States.
             147          (3) Utah does not authorize federal employees to exercise law enforcement powers to
             148      enforce the laws of Utah, either on or off federally managed land except as authorized under
             149      this section or other provisions of state statute.
             150          (4) (a) Utah does not recognize the authority of employees or agents of the United
             151      States Department of Interior to exercise law enforcement powers in any county when the


             152      exercise of the authority:
             153          (i) occurs before the United States Secretary of the Interior has achieved the maximum
             154      feasible reliance upon the county's law enforcement officials in enforcing federal laws and
             155      regulations for the management, use, and protection of lands managed by the United States
             156      Bureau of Land Management, as required under 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1733(c)(2); or
             157          (ii) goes beyond those powers strictly necessary for the management, use, and
             158      protection of federally managed lands, including property located on these lands, as limited by
             159      43 U.S.C. Sec. 1733(a) [and 1733(c)(2)].
             160          (b) As required by Congress in 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1733(c)(1), when the Secretary of
             161      Interior determines that state or local assistance is necessary in enforcing federal laws and
             162      regulations relating to federally managed lands or the resources on those lands, the secretary
             163      shall offer a contract to appropriate state or local law enforcement agencies of the state with the
             164      purpose of achieving maximum feasible reliance upon state or local law enforcement officials
             165      in enforcing the federal laws and regulations.
             166          (5) Utah does not authorize federal employees to take action based on the Utah Code,
             167      Utah Administrative Rules, or county or municipal ordinances as a basis to arrest or cite
             168      persons for prosecution in the federal criminal justice system, unless the action:
             169          (a) has been expressly granted by federal statute; and
             170          (b) is consistent with the Constitution of the United States.
             171          (6) The authority of a United States Forest Service employee who is not a trained and
             172      certified law enforcement officer and the authority of any employee of the United States
             173      Bureau of Land Management to take action based on the Utah Code, Utah Administrative
             174      Rules, or county or municipal ordinances, or a federal assimilation of any of these provisions,
             175      as a basis to arrest or cite persons for prosecution in the federal criminal justice system, is not
             176      recognized, unless:
             177          (a) (i) the authority for the action has been expressly granted by an enacted federal
             178      statute and not by assimilation of any state laws or ordinances; and
             179          (ii) is consistent with the Constitution of the United States; or
             180          (b) (i) the offense is an emergency or poses an immediate risk of bodily injury or
             181      damage to property; and
             182          (ii) a state, county, or municipal law enforcement officer is not reasonably available to


             183      take action.
             184          [(6)] (7) State and local government agencies may not allow any federal agency access
             185      to or use of the correctional and communication facilities and equipment of any state or local
             186      law enforcement agency without the express written consent of the appropriate responsible
             187      official of the state or local law enforcement agency.
             188          [(7)] (8) State and local law enforcement agencies may enter into agreements with
             189      federal agencies granting [concurrent] limited authority to specific federal employees to
             190      exercise law enforcement powers to enforce federal laws and state and local laws, provided the
             191      agreements are limited to a term not to exceed two years.
             192          [(8)] (9) (a) County sheriffs shall regularly review the duties and activities of federal
             193      agencies that have law enforcement responsibilities and that are acting within the jurisdictional
             194      area of the county to [ascertain whether] determine if the federal agencies are acting
             195      consistently with this section.
             196          (b) County sheriffs shall annually report to the county attorney or district attorney of
             197      their jurisdiction the results of all reviews conducted under this Subsection [(8)] (9).
             198          Section 3. Section 76-8-512 is amended to read:
             199           76-8-512. Impersonation of officer.
             200          A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor who:
             201          (1) impersonates a public servant or a peace officer with intent to deceive another or
             202      with intent to induce another to submit to [his] the person's pretended official authority or to
             203      rely upon [his] the person's pretended official act;
             204          (2) falsely states [he] the person is a public servant or a peace officer with intent to
             205      deceive another or to induce another to submit to [his] the person pretended official authority
             206      or to rely upon [his] the person's pretended official act; or
             207          (3) displays or possesses without authority any badge, identification card, other form of
             208      identification, any restraint device, or the uniform of any state or local governmental entity, or a
             209      reasonable facsimile of any of these items, with the intent to deceive another or with the intent
             210      to induce another to submit to [his] the person's pretended official authority or to rely upon
             211      [his] the person's pretended official act[.]; or
             212          (4) exercises law enforcement authority in violation of Section 53-13-106.5 and is an
             213      employee of the:


             214          (a) United States Bureau of Land Management; or
             215          (b) (i) United States Forest Service; and
             216          (ii) is not a certified law enforcement officer.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-6-13 7:33 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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