Tex. Code of Crim. Proc. Article 18B.001
Definitions


In this chapter:

(1)

“Authorized peace officer” means:

(A)

a sheriff or deputy sheriff;

(B)

a constable or deputy constable;

(C)

a marshal or police officer of a municipality;

(D)

a ranger or officer commissioned by the Public Safety Commission or the director of the department;

(E)

an investigator of a prosecutor’s office;

(F)

a law enforcement agent of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission;

(G)

a law enforcement officer commissioned by the Parks and Wildlife Commission;

(H)

an enforcement officer appointed by the inspector general of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.019 (Enforcement Officers), Government Code;

(I)

a law enforcement officer appointed by the inspector general of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department under Section 242.102 (Office of Inspector General), Human Resources Code;

(J)

an investigator commissioned by the attorney general under Section 402.009 (Authority to Employ and Commission Peace Officers), Government Code;

(K)

a member of an arson investigating unit commissioned by a municipality, a county, or the state; or

(K)

a peace officer commissioned under Section 37.081 (School District Peace Officers, School Resource Officers, and Security Personnel) or 51.203 (Campus Peace Officers), Education Code.

(2)

“Communication common carrier,” “electronic communication,” “electronic communications service,” “user,” and “wire communication” have the meanings assigned by Article 18A.001 (Definitions).

(3)

“Department” means the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas.

(4)

“Designated law enforcement office or agency” means:

(A)

the sheriff’s department of a county with a population of 3.3 million or more;

(B)

a police department in a municipality with a population of 200,000 or more;

(C)

the office of inspector general of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; or

(D)

the office of inspector general of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

(5)

“Domestic entity” has the meaning assigned by Section 1.002 (Definitions), Business Organizations Code.

(6)

“Electronic communications system” means:

(A)

a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo-optical, or photoelectronic facility for the transmission of wire or electronic communications; and

(B)

any computer facility or related electronic equipment for the electronic storage of wire or electronic communications.

(7)

“Electronic customer data” means data or records that:

(A)

are in the possession, care, custody, or control of a provider of an electronic communications service or provider of a remote computing service; and

(B)

contain:
(i)
information revealing the identity of customers of the applicable service;
(ii)
information about a customer’s use of the applicable service;
(iii)
information that identifies the recipient or destination of a wire or electronic communication sent to or by a customer;
(iv)
the content of a wire or electronic communication sent to or by a customer;
(v)
any data stored with the applicable service provider by or on behalf of a customer; or
(vi)
location information.

(8)

“Electronic storage” means storage of electronic customer data in a computer, computer network, or computer system, regardless of whether the data is subject to recall, further manipulation, deletion, or transmission. The term includes storage of a wire or electronic communication by an electronic communications service or a remote computing service.

(9)

“ESN reader” means a device that, without intercepting the contents of a communication, records the electronic serial number from the data track of a wireless telephone, cellular telephone, or similar communication device that transmits its operational status to a base site.

(9-a)

“Immediate life-threatening situation” has the meaning assigned by Article 18A.201 (Definitions).

(9-b)

“Location information” means data, records, or other information that is created by or accessible to a provider of an electronic communications service or a provider of a remote computing service and may be used to identify the geographic physical location of a communication device, including the current, real-time, or prospective geographic physical location of a communication device.

(10)

“Pen register” means a device or process that records or decodes dialing, routing, addressing, or signaling information transmitted by an instrument or facility from which a wire or electronic communication is transmitted, if the information does not include the contents of the communication. The term does not include a device used by a provider or customer of a wire or electronic communications service in the ordinary course of the service provider’s or customer’s business for purposes of:

(A)

billing or recording incident to billing for communications services; or

(B)

cost accounting, security control, or other ordinary business purposes.

(11)

“Prosecutor” means a district attorney, criminal district attorney, or county attorney performing the duties of a district attorney.

(12)

“Remote computing service” means the provision of computer storage or processing services to the public by means of an electronic communications system.

(13)

“Trap and trace device” means a device or process that records an incoming electronic or other impulse that identifies the originating number or other dialing, routing, addressing, or signaling information reasonably likely to identify the source of a wire or electronic communication, if the information does not include the contents of the communication. The term does not include a device or telecommunications network used in providing:

(A)

a caller identification service authorized by the Public Utility Commission of Texas under Subchapter E (Definitions), Chapter 55 (Regulation of Telecommunications Services), Utilities Code;

(B)

the services referenced by Section 55.102 (Applicability)(b), Utilities Code; or

(C)

a caller identification service provided by a commercial mobile radio service provider licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.
Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1058 (H.B. 2931), Sec. 1.02, eff. January 1, 2019.
Amended by:
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 917 (H.B. 4157), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 488 (H.B. 3363), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 536 (S.B. 112), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 901 (H.B. 4906), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 950 (S.B. 1727), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2023.

Source: Article 18B.001 — Definitions, https://statutes.­capitol.­texas.­gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.­18B.­htm#18B.­001 (accessed Apr. 20, 2024).

18B.001
Definitions
18B.051
Requirements Regarding Request for and Filing of Application
18B.052
Jurisdiction
18B.053
Application Requirements
18B.101
Order Authorizing Installation and Use of Pen Register, Esn Reader, or Similar Equipment
18B.102
Order Authorizing Installation and Use of Trap and Trace Device or Similar Equipment
18B.103
Compensation for Carrier or Service Provider
18B.104
Duration of Order
18B.105
Sealing Records of Application and Order
18B.151
Emergency Installation and Use of Pen Register or Trap and Trace Device
18B.152
Order Authorizing Emergency Installation and Use
18B.153
Admissibility of Evidence Obtained
18B.201
Definition
18B.202
Order Authorizing Installation and Use of Mobile Tracking Device
18B.203
Jurisdiction
18B.204
Notification of Judge Following Activation of Mobile Tracking Device
18B.205
Duration of Order
18B.206
Removal of Device
18B.207
Nonapplicability
18B.251
Policy Required
18B.252
Peace Officers Authorized to Possess, Install, Operate, or Monitor Equipment
18B.253
Limitation: Pen Registers
18B.254
Application or Order Not Required for Certain Searches
18B.301
Compliance Audit
18B.302
Report of Expenditures
18B.321
Applicability
18B.322
Warrant Required for Certain Location Information Held in Electronic Storage
18B.323
Issuance of Warrant
18B.324
Duration
18B.325
Emergency Disclosure
18B.326
Certain Evidence Not Admissible
18B.351
Government Access to Electronic Customer Data
18B.352
Court Order for Government Access to Stored Customer Data
18B.353
Warrant Issued in This State: Applicability
18B.354
Warrant Issued in This State: Application and Issuance of Warrant
18B.355
Warrant Issued in This State: Execution of Warrant
18B.356
Warrant Issued in This State: Compliance with Warrant
18B.357
Warrant Issued in This State: Authentication of Records by Service Provider
18B.358
Warrant Issued in Another State
18B.359
Government Access to Certain Stored Customer Data Without Legal Process
18B.401
Backup Preservation of Electronic Customer Data
18B.402
Notice to Subscriber or Customer
18B.403
Release of Copy of Electronic Customer Data
18B.404
Destruction of Copy of Electronic Customer Data
18B.405
Request for Copy of Electronic Customer Data by Authorized Peace Officer
18B.406
Proceedings to Quash Subpoena or Vacate Court Order
18B.451
Subpoena Authority
18B.452
Report of Issuance of Subpoena
18B.453
Compliance with Policy for Installation and Use of Equipment
18B.501
Preclusion of Notification
18B.502
Disclosure by Service Provider Prohibited
18B.503
Reimbursement of Costs
18B.551
Cause of Action
18B.552
No Cause of Action
18B.553
Exclusivity of Remedies

Accessed:
Apr. 20, 2024

Art. 18B.001’s source at texas​.gov