Texas 2021 - 87th 3rd C.S.

Texas House Bill HB49 Compare Versions

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

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