| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 2093 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | relating to persons certified as peace officers. |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | SECTION 1. Section 1701.404, Occupations Code, is amended |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | to read as follows: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Sec. 1701.404. CERTIFICATION OF OFFICERS FOR MENTAL HEALTH |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | ASSIGNMENTS. (a) The commission by rule may establish minimum |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | requirements for the training, testing, and certification of |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | special officers for offenders with mental impairments. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | (b) The commission may certify a sheriff, sheriff's deputy, |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | constable, [or] other peace officer, county jailer, or [a] justice |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | of the peace[,] as a special officer for offenders with mental |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | impairments if the person [officer]: |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (1) completes a training course in emergency first aid |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | and lifesaving techniques approved by the commission; |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (2) completes a training course administered by the |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | commission on mental health issues and offenders with mental |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | impairments; and |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (3) passes an examination administered by the |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | commission that is designed to test the person's [officer's]: |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (A) knowledge and recognition of the |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | characteristics and symptoms of mental illness, mental |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | retardation, and mental disabilities; and |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (B) knowledge of mental health crisis |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | intervention strategies for people with mental impairments. |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (c) The commission may issue a professional achievement or |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | proficiency certificate to an officer, county jailer, or justice of |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | the peace who meets the requirements of Subsection (b). |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. (a) The Commission on Law Enforcement Officer |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | Standards and Education may certify a county jailer as a special |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | officer for offenders with mental impairments and may issue a |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | certificate to the county jailer if the county jailer meets the |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | requirements of Section 1701.404(b), Occupations Code, as amended |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | by this Act, regardless of whether the county jailer completed the |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | required training and passed the examination before, on, or after |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | the effective date of this Act. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (b) The Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | Education may issue a certificate under Section 1701.404(c), |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, to a justice of the peace |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | who is certified as a special officer for offenders with mental |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | impairments regardless of whether the justice of the peace was |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | certified before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | I certify that H.B. No. 2093 was passed by the House on May |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 11, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 2 present, not |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | H.B. No. 2093 on May 29, 2009, and requested the appointment of a |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | on H.B. No. 2093 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 142, |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | Nays 0, 1 present, not voting. |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | I certify that H.B. No. 2093 was passed by the Senate, with |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | amendments, on May 25, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | 0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | 2093 on June 1, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | Secretary of the Senate |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | APPROVED: __________________ |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | Date |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | __________________ |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | Governor |
|---|