Texas 2021 - 87th 1st C.S.

Texas House Bill HB43 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87S10200 JCG-F
2	2	By: Reynolds H.B. No. 43
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to peace officers and law enforcement agencies.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended
10	10	by adding Section 180.010 to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 180.010. REQUIRED PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY EVENTS
12	12	FOR CERTAIN PEACE OFFICERS. (a) A law enforcement agency of a
13	13	municipality or county shall adopt a policy requiring a peace
14	14	officer to participate in at least eight hours of community events
15	15	in the municipality or county not later than the 60th day after the
16	16	date the peace officer begins employment with the agency.
17	17	(b) The law enforcement agency may grant extensions of the
18	18	period described by Subsection (a) based on reasonable grounds.
19	19	SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
20	20	amended by adding Sections 1701.165 and 1701.166 to read as
21	21	follows:
22	22	Sec. 1701.165. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN AGENCIES. (a) The
23	23	commission shall establish and administer a grant program through
24	24	which eligible municipalities and counties may apply for a grant to
25	25	provide increased compensation to peace officers employed by the
26	26	law enforcement agency of the municipality or county based on
27	27	criteria described by Subsection (b) and any additional criteria
28	28	the commission adopts by rule.
29	29	(b) In awarding grants under the grant program, the
30	30	commission shall consider the extent to which the peace officers
31	31	employed by the law enforcement agency of the applicant
32	32	municipality or county:
33	33	(1) hold bachelor's degrees or higher from an
34	34	accredited public or private institution of higher education;
35	35	(2) reside in the applicable municipality or county;
36	36	and
37	37	(3) have received certificates of distinction under
38	38	Section 1701.4025.
39	39	(c) The commission may establish:
40	40	(1) additional eligibility criteria for grant
41	41	applicants;
42	42	(2) grant application procedures;
43	43	(3) guidelines relating to grant amounts;
44	44	(4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; and
45	45	(5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant
46	46	awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any
47	47	conditions of a grant.
48	48	(d) The commission may use any revenue available for
49	49	purposes of this section.
50	50	Sec. 1701.166. ANNUAL EVALUATION OF CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT
51	51	AGENCIES. (a) The commission shall annually evaluate each law
52	52	enforcement agency of a municipality or county for professionalism
53	53	based on criteria described by Subsection (b) and any additional
54	54	criteria the commission adopts by rule.
55	55	(b) In conducting an evaluation of a law enforcement agency
56	56	under Subsection (a), the commission shall consider whether:
57	57	(1) at least half of the peace officers of the agency
58	58	reside in the applicable municipality or county;
59	59	(2) the peace officers of the agency in supervisory
60	60	positions hold bachelor's degrees or higher from an accredited
61	61	public or private institution of higher education;
62	62	(3) the peace officers of the agency each perform 30 or
63	63	more hours of community service annually;
64	64	(4) the agency has a citizens academy or youth
65	65	enrichment program; and
66	66	(5) the peace officers of the agency are certified as
67	67	special officers for offenders with mental impairments under
68	68	Section 1701.404.
69	69	(c) The commission shall make available on the commission's
70	70	Internet website the results of the evaluations.
71	71	(d) The commission may establish and administer a grant
72	72	program and use any revenue available for purposes of this
73	73	subsection to award grants to agencies that receive positive
74	74	evaluations. The commission may adopt rules to administer the
75	75	grant program.
76	76	SECTION 3. Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, is amended
77	77	by adding Subsection (q) to read as follows:
78	78	(q) As part of the minimum curriculum requirements, the
79	79	commission shall require an officer to complete a training program
80	80	on implicit bias that consists of not less than eight hours of
81	81	training.
82	82	SECTION 4. Section 1701.351, Occupations Code, is amended
83	83	by adding Subsection (a-3) to read as follows:
84	84	(a-3) As part of the continuing education programs under
85	85	Subsection (a), a peace officer must complete a training and
86	86	education program developed by the commission that includes not
87	87	less than:
88	88	(1) four hours of training on implicit bias; and
89	89	(2) eight hours of training on de-escalation and
90	90	crisis intervention techniques.
91	91	SECTION 5. Subchapter I, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
92	92	amended by adding Section 1701.4025 to read as follows:
93	93	Sec. 1701.4025. CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION FOR CERTAIN
94	94	ACHIEVEMENTS. (a) The commission shall issue a certificate of
95	95	distinction to an officer who:
96	96	(1) performs more than 40 hours of community service
97	97	during a continuing education training period described by Section
98	98	1701.351(a);
99	99	(2) completes more than 50 hours of continuing
100	100	education programs approved by the commission during a continuing
101	101	education training period described by Section 1701.351(a); or
102	102	(3) provides more than 25 hours of instruction in
103	103	continuing education programs approved by the commission in a
104	104	calendar year.
105	105	(b) The commission shall adopt rules for the administration
106	106	of this section, including rules for reporting community service
107	107	hours and hours providing instruction in continuing education
108	108	programs.
109	109	(c) The commission may use the employment records of an
110	110	employing law enforcement agency in determining whether an officer
111	111	qualifies for a certificate of distinction.
112	112	SECTION 6. Section 180.010, Local Government Code, as added
113	113	by this Act, applies only to a peace officer first employed on or
114	114	after the effective date of this Act.
115	115	SECTION 7. Not later than September 1, 2022, the Texas
116	116	Commission on Law Enforcement shall:
117	117	(1) begin conducting evaluations under Section
118	118	1701.166, Occupations Code, as added by this Act; and
119	119	(2) adopt rules necessary to implement that section.
120	120	SECTION 8. Section 1701.253(q), Occupations Code, as added
121	121	by this Act, applies only to a person who submits an application for
122	122	a peace officer license under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, on or
123	123	after January 1, 2022. A person who submits an application for a
124	124	peace officer license under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, before
125	125	January 1, 2022, is governed by the law in effect immediately before
126	126	the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in
127	127	effect for that purpose.
128	128	SECTION 9. Not later than January 1, 2022, the Texas
129	129	Commission on Law Enforcement shall develop the training and
130	130	education program required by and adopt rules necessary to
131	131	implement Section 1701.351(a-3), Occupations Code, as added by this
132	132	Act.
133	133	SECTION 10. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the
134	134	last day of the legislative session.