| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 780 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to eligibility requirements for a beginning police |
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| 6 | 6 | | department position in certain municipalities under municipal |
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| 7 | 7 | | civil service. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 143.105, Local Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 143.105. ELIGIBILITY FOR BEGINNING POSITION IN POLICE |
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| 12 | 12 | | DEPARTMENT. In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements |
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| 13 | 13 | | prescribed by Section 143.023, to be certified as eligible for a |
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| 14 | 14 | | beginning position with a police department, a person must be at |
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| 15 | 15 | | least 21 years of age at the end of the probationary period and |
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| 16 | 16 | | have: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) served in the United States armed forces and |
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| 18 | 18 | | received an honorable discharge; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) earned at least 60 hours' credit in any area of |
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| 20 | 20 | | study at an accredited college or university, of which not more than |
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| 21 | 21 | | 12 hours' credit may be earned for training at the police officer |
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| 22 | 22 | | training academy operated or sponsored by the municipality; or |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) been employed full-time for at least five years as |
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| 24 | 24 | | a peace officer licensed by: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (A) the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer |
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| 26 | 26 | | Standards and Education; or |
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| 27 | 27 | | (B) an acceptable licensing entity in another |
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| 28 | 28 | | state that has law enforcement officer licensing requirements |
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| 29 | 29 | | substantially equivalent to those of Chapter 1701, Occupations |
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| 30 | 30 | | Code. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 32 | 32 | | to a certification of eligibility for a beginning position in a |
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| 33 | 33 | | police department that occurs on or after the effective date of this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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| 36 | 36 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 37 | 37 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 38 | 38 | | I certify that H.B. No. 780 was passed by the House on April |
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| 39 | 39 | | 15, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
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| 40 | 40 | | voting. |
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| 41 | 41 | | ______________________________ |
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| 42 | 42 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 43 | 43 | | I certify that H.B. No. 780 was passed by the Senate on May |
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| 44 | 44 | | 27, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 47 | 47 | | APPROVED: _____________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | Date |
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| 49 | 49 | | _____________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Governor |
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