| 3 | 2 | | |
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| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 6 | | relating to a law enforcement agency accreditation grant program. |
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| 8 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 772.0077 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 10 | | Sec. 772.0077. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION GRANT |
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| 12 | 11 | | PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "criminal justice division" means |
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| 13 | 12 | | the criminal justice division established under Section 772.006. |
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| 14 | 13 | | (b) The criminal justice division shall establish and |
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| 15 | 14 | | administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a law |
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| 16 | 15 | | enforcement agency in this state for purposes of: |
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| 17 | 16 | | (1) obtaining or maintaining recognition through the |
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| 20 | 19 | | (2) becoming accredited or maintaining accreditation |
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| 21 | 20 | | by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, |
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| 22 | 21 | | Inc.; or |
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| 23 | 22 | | (3) becoming accredited or maintaining accreditation |
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| 24 | 23 | | by an association or organization designated by the criminal |
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| 25 | 24 | | justice division under Subsection (g). |
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| 26 | 25 | | (c) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not |
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| 27 | 26 | | exceed $50,000. |
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| 28 | 27 | | (d) The criminal justice division shall establish: |
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| 29 | 28 | | (1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
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| 30 | 29 | | (2) grant application procedures; |
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| 31 | 30 | | (3) guidelines relating to grant amounts; |
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| 32 | 31 | | (4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; and |
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| 33 | 32 | | (5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant |
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| 34 | 33 | | awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any |
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| 35 | 34 | | conditions of a grant. |
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| 36 | 35 | | (e) Not later than December 1 of each year, the criminal |
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| 37 | 36 | | justice division shall submit to the Legislative Budget Board a |
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| 38 | 37 | | report that provides the following information for the preceding |
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| 39 | 38 | | state fiscal year: |
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| 40 | 39 | | (1) the name of each law enforcement agency that |
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| 41 | 40 | | applied for a grant under this section; and |
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| 42 | 41 | | (2) the amount of money distributed to each law |
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| 43 | 42 | | enforcement agency that received a grant under this section. |
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| 44 | 43 | | (f) The criminal justice division may use any revenue |
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| 45 | 44 | | available for purposes of this section. |
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| 46 | 45 | | (g) The criminal justice division, with the assistance of |
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| 47 | 46 | | the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, shall periodically review |
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| 48 | 47 | | associations and organizations that establish standards of |
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| 49 | 48 | | practice for law enforcement agencies and that offer accreditation |
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| 50 | 49 | | to agencies that meet those standards. On a determination by the |
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| 51 | 50 | | criminal justice division that accreditation of law enforcement |
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| 52 | 51 | | agencies in this state by an association or organization would |
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| 53 | 52 | | benefit public safety, the commission may designate the association |
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| 54 | 53 | | or organization as an accrediting agency for purposes of Subsection |
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| 55 | 54 | | (b)(3). |
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| 56 | | - | (h) Subject to Subsection (i), the criminal justice |
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| 57 | | - | division shall adopt rules requiring each law enforcement agency of |
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| 58 | | - | a municipality to obtain recognition or become accredited as |
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| 59 | | - | described by Subsection (b). The rules must require the law |
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| 60 | | - | enforcement agencies to obtain recognition or become accredited not |
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| 61 | | - | later than September 1, 2028, or, for an agency with 10 or fewer |
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| 62 | | - | peace officers, not later than September 1, 2031. The criminal |
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| 63 | | - | justice division shall implement a program to assist the law |
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| 64 | | - | enforcement agencies in obtaining recognition or becoming |
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| 65 | | - | accredited. |
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| 66 | | - | (i) The rules adopted under Subsection (h) must provide that |
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| 67 | | - | the requirement to obtain recognition or become accredited is only |
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| 68 | | - | in effect if the criminal justice division determines the grant |
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| 69 | | - | program established under this section is sufficiently funded to |
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| 70 | | - | provide a grant to each eligible applicant for purposes of |
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| 71 | | - | satisfying the requirement. |
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