Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB22 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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1	1	S.B. No. 22
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to the establishment of grant programs to provide
6	6	financial assistance to qualified sheriff's offices, constable's
7	7	offices, and prosecutor's offices in rural counties.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government
10	10	Code, is amended by adding Sections 130.911, 130.912, and 130.913
11	11	to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 130.911. RURAL SHERIFF'S OFFICE SALARY ASSISTANCE
13	13	GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
14	14	(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by
15	15	the comptroller under the rural sheriff's office salary assistance
16	16	grant program established by this section.
17	17	(2) "Qualified county" means a county with a
18	18	population of 300,000 or less.
19	19	(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the
20	20	rural sheriff's office salary assistance grant program to support
21	21	the state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement
22	22	throughout the state by providing financial assistance to sheriff's
23	23	offices in qualified counties.
24	24	(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a
25	25	qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an
26	26	application for a grant to the comptroller. A county may submit
27	27	only one application each fiscal year.
28	28	(d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified
29	29	county that applies for the grant using money appropriated to the
30	30	comptroller for that purpose. The grant must be in the following
31	31	applicable amount:
32	32	(1) $250,000 if the county has a population of less
33	33	than 10,000;
34	34	(2) $350,000 if the county has a population of 10,000
35	35	or more and less than 50,000; or
36	36	(3) $500,000 if the county has a population of 50,000
37	37	or more and 300,000 or less.
38	38	(e) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize
39	39	the use of the grant money only:
40	40	(1) to provide a minimum annual salary of at least:
41	41	(A) $75,000 for the county sheriff;
42	42	(B) $45,000 for each deputy who makes motor
43	43	vehicle stops in the routine performance of their duties; and
44	44	(C) $40,000 for each jailer whose duties include
45	45	the safekeeping of prisoners and the security of a jail operated by
46	46	the county;
47	47	(2) to increase the salary of a person described by
48	48	Subdivision (1);
49	49	(3) to hire additional deputies or staff for the
50	50	sheriff's office; or
51	51	(4) to purchase vehicles, firearms, and safety
52	52	equipment for the sheriff's office.
53	53	(f) A county that is awarded a grant may not use or authorize
54	54	the use of the grant money for a purpose other than to meet the
55	55	minimum salary requirements prescribed by Subsection (e)(1) until
56	56	those requirements are satisfied.
57	57	(g) A county may not reduce the amount of funds provided to
58	58	the sheriff's office because of grant funds provided under this
59	59	section.
60	60	(h) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to
61	61	implement this section, including rules that establish:
62	62	(1) a standardized application process, including the
63	63	form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the
64	64	form;
65	65	(2) deadlines for:
66	66	(A) applying for the grant;
67	67	(B) disbursement of grant money; and
68	68	(C) spending grant money; and
69	69	(3) procedures for:
70	70	(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to
71	71	ensure compliance with this section; and
72	72	(B) the return of grant money that was not used by
73	73	a county for a purpose authorized by this section.
74	74	Sec. 130.912. RURAL CONSTABLE'S OFFICE SALARY ASSISTANCE
75	75	GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
76	76	(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by
77	77	the comptroller under the rural constable's office salary
78	78	assistance grant program established by this section.
79	79	(2) "Qualified constable" means a constable elected to
80	80	an office created on or before January 1, 2023, who primarily makes
81	81	motor vehicle stops in the routine performance of the constable's
82	82	duties.
83	83	(3) "Qualified county" means a county with a
84	84	population of 300,000 or less.
85	85	(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the
86	86	rural constable's office salary assistance grant program to support
87	87	the state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement
88	88	throughout the state by providing financial assistance to
89	89	constable's offices in qualified counties.
90	90	(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a
91	91	qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an
92	92	application for a grant to the comptroller. A county may submit
93	93	only one application each fiscal year.
94	94	(d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified
95	95	county that applies for the grant using money appropriated to the
96	96	comptroller for that purpose. The comptroller may only award a
97	97	grant to a county if the county agrees in writing to contribute at
98	98	least 75 percent of the money required to meet the minimum annual
99	99	salary requirement established under Subsection (e) for each
100	100	qualified constable for which the county will also use grant money
101	101	to provide that salary.
102	102	(e) Subject to Subsection (d), a county that is awarded a
103	103	grant shall use or authorize the use of the grant money only to
104	104	provide a minimum annual salary of $45,000 to a qualified
105	105	constable.
106	106	(f) A county may not reduce the amount of funds provided to
107	107	the constable's office because of grant funds provided under this
108	108	section.
109	109	(g) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to
110	110	implement this section, including rules that establish:
111	111	(1) a standardized application process, including the
112	112	form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the
113	113	form;
114	114	(2) deadlines for:
115	115	(A) applying for the grant;
116	116	(B) disbursement of grant money; and
117	117	(C) spending grant money;
118	118	(3) procedures for:
119	119	(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to
120	120	ensure compliance with this section; and
121	121	(B) the return of grant money that was not used by
122	122	a county for a purpose authorized by this section; and
123	123	(4) standards to determine if a constable is a
124	124	qualified constable.
125	125	Sec. 130.913. RURAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE SALARY ASSISTANCE
126	126	GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
127	127	(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by
128	128	the comptroller under the rural prosecutor's office salary
129	129	assistance grant program established by this section.
130	130	(2) "Qualified prosecutor's office" means, in a
131	131	jurisdiction with a population of 300,000 or less, the office of a
132	132	district attorney, criminal district attorney, or county attorney
133	133	with criminal prosecution duties.
134	134	(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the
135	135	rural prosecutor's office salary assistance grant program to
136	136	support the state purpose of ensuring professional legal
137	137	representation of the people's interests throughout the state by
138	138	providing financial assistance to qualified prosecutor's offices.
139	139	(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a
140	140	qualified prosecutor's office's fiscal year, the prosecutor's
141	141	office may submit an application for a grant to the comptroller. A
142	142	prosecutor's office may submit only one application each fiscal
143	143	year.
144	144	(d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified
145	145	prosecutor's office that applies for the grant using money
146	146	appropriated to the comptroller for that purpose. The grant must be
147	147	in the following applicable amount:
148	148	(1) $100,000 if the prosecutor's office's jurisdiction
149	149	has a population of less than 10,000;
150	150	(2) $175,000 if the prosecutor's office's jurisdiction
151	151	has a population of 10,000 or more and less than 50,000; or
152	152	(3) $275,000 if the prosecutor's office's jurisdiction
153	153	has a population of 50,000 or more and 300,000 or less.
154	154	(e) A prosecutor's office that is awarded a grant shall use
155	155	or authorize the use of the grant money only:
156	156	(1) to increase the salary of an assistant attorney,
157	157	an investigator, or a victim assistance coordinator employed at the
158	158	office; or
159	159	(2) to hire additional staff for the office.
160	160	(f) A county may not reduce the amount of funds provided to a
161	161	prosecutor's office because of grant funds provided under this
162	162	section.
163	163	(g) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to
164	164	implement this section, including rules that establish:
165	165	(1) a standardized application process, including the
166	166	form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the
167	167	form;
168	168	(2) deadlines for:
169	169	(A) applying for the grant;
170	170	(B) disbursement of grant money; and
171	171	(C) spending grant money; and
172	172	(3) procedures for:
173	173	(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to
174	174	ensure compliance with this section; and
175	175	(B) the return of grant money that was not used by
176	176	a qualified prosecutor's office for a purpose authorized by this
177	177	section.
178	178	SECTION 2. A qualified county or prosecutor's office, as
179	179	defined by Section 130.911, 130.912, or 130.913, Local Government
180	180	Code, as added by this Act, may not apply for a rural sheriff's
181	181	office salary assistance grant, rural constable's office salary
182	182	assistance grant, or rural prosecutor's office salary assistance
183	183	grant before January 1, 2024.
184	184	SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2024, the comptroller
185	185	of public accounts shall comply with the requirements of Sections
186	186	130.911, 130.912, and 130.913, Local Government Code, as added by
187	187	this Act.
188	188	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
189	189	______________________________ ______________________________
190	190	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
191	191	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 22 passed the Senate on
192	192	March 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0;
193	193	May 21, 2023, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and
194	194	requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 23, 2023, House
195	195	granted request of the Senate; May 28, 2023, Senate adopted
196	196	Conference Committee Report by the following vote: Yeas 31,
197	197	Nays 0.
198	198	______________________________
199	199	Secretary of the Senate
200	200	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 22 passed the House, with
201	201	amendments, on May 16, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 139,
202	202	Nays 0, one present not voting; May 23, 2023, House granted request
203	203	of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
204	204	May 28, 2023, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
205	205	following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, two present not voting.
206	206	______________________________
207	207	Chief Clerk of the House
208	208	Approved:
209	209	______________________________
210	210	Date
211	211	______________________________
212	212	Governor