Texas 2023 - 88th 4th C.S.

Texas Senate Bill SB21 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88S40025 SHH-D
2	2	By: King S.B. No. 21
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to law enforcement agency accreditation, including a grant
8	8	program to assist agencies in becoming accredited; making an
9	9	appropriation.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 403.0303 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 403.0303. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION GRANT
14	14	PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "law enforcement agency" has the
15	15	meaning assigned by Section 1701.171, Occupations Code.
16	16	(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer a grant
17	17	program to provide financial assistance for purposes of becoming
18	18	accredited as required by the rules adopted under Section 1701.171,
19	19	Occupations Code, to each law enforcement agency that employs fewer
20	20	than 250 peace officers.
21	21	(c) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
22	22	law enforcement agency must have executed a contract with an
23	23	accrediting entity described by Section 1701.171(b), Occupations
24	24	Code, and complete an initial assessment by the accrediting entity.
25	25	(d) Based on the results of the initial assessment completed
26	26	under Subsection (c), a law enforcement agency may request grant
27	27	funds for reimbursement of an accreditation fee, staff overtime, or
28	28	temporary staffing necessary to become accredited.
29	29	(e) Grant money provided under this section may only be used
30	30	by a law enforcement agency for the purposes of becoming
31	31	accredited. A law enforcement agency may not receive more than one
32	32	grant under this section.
33	33	(f) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not
34	34	exceed $30,000.
35	35	(g) The comptroller shall establish:
36	36	(1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants;
37	37	(2) grant application procedures;
38	38	(3) guidelines relating to grant amounts;
39	39	(4) procedures for evaluating grant applications,
40	40	including prioritizing applications from law enforcement agencies
41	41	employing fewer than 100 peace officers;
42	42	(5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant
43	43	awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any
44	44	conditions of a grant; and
45	45	(6) procedures for revoking a grant awarded under the
46	46	program if the law enforcement agency is not accredited within the
47	47	period specified by the rules adopted under Section 1701.171,
48	48	Occupations Code.
49	49	(h) Not later than December 1 of each year, the comptroller
50	50	shall submit to the Legislative Budget Board a report that provides
51	51	the following information for the preceding state fiscal year:
52	52	(1) the name of each law enforcement agency that
53	53	applied for a grant under this section; and
54	54	(2) the amount of money distributed to each law
55	55	enforcement agency that received a grant under this section.
56	56	(i) The comptroller may use any revenue available for
57	57	purposes of this section.
58	58	(j) Notwithstanding any other law or rule, beginning
59	59	September 1, 2029, a law enforcement agency must be accredited as
60	60	provided by the rules adopted under Section 1701.171, Occupations
61	61	Code, to be eligible to receive any grant supporting law
62	62	enforcement operations or equipment acquisition administered by
63	63	the comptroller other than a grant under this section.
64	64	SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
65	65	amended by adding Section 1701.171 to read as follows:
66	66	Sec. 1701.171. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION. (a)
67	67	In this section, "law enforcement agency" means:
68	68	(1) a law enforcement agency that employs at least 20
69	69	peace officers described by Article 2.12(1), (3), (4), (8), or
70	70	(10), Code of Criminal Procedure, to answer emergency calls for
71	71	service or conduct patrol operations, traffic enforcement, or
72	72	criminal investigations; or
73	73	(2) a school district police department.
74	74	(b) The commission shall adopt rules requiring each law
75	75	enforcement agency to become accredited and maintain
76	76	accreditation:
77	77	(1) through the Texas Police Chiefs Association Law
78	78	Enforcement Agency Best Practices Accreditation Program;
79	79	(2) by the Commission on Accreditation for Law
80	80	Enforcement Agencies, Inc.;
81	81	(3) by the International Association of Campus Law
82	82	Enforcement Administrators;
83	83	(4) by an accreditation program developed by the
84	84	Sheriffs' Association of Texas; or
85	85	(5) by an association or organization designated by
86	86	the commission as provided by Subsection (e).
87	87	(c) The rules adopted under Subsection (b) must require a
88	88	law enforcement agency that is not already accredited to:
89	89	(1) execute a contract with an approved accrediting
90	90	entity not later than September 1, 2027; and
91	91	(2) become accredited not later than September 1,
92	92	2029.
93	93	(d) The commission shall implement a program to assist law
94	94	enforcement agencies in becoming accredited as required by the
95	95	rules adopted under Subsection (b).
96	96	(e) The commission shall periodically review associations
97	97	and organizations that establish standards of practice for law
98	98	enforcement agencies and that offer accreditation to agencies that
99	99	meet those standards. On a majority vote of the commission that
100	100	accreditation of law enforcement agencies in this state by an
101	101	association or organization would benefit public safety, the
102	102	commission may designate the association or organization as an
103	103	accrediting entity for purposes of Subsection (b)(5).
104	104	(f) A law enforcement agency shall annually report the
105	105	agency's accreditation status, including the applicable
106	106	accrediting entity described by Subsection (b), to the commission.
107	107	(g) The commission shall post on the commission's Internet
108	108	website a list of all law enforcement agencies that are currently
109	109	accredited or under contract with an accrediting entity as
110	110	described by Subsection (b).
111	111	SECTION 3. (a) Not later than September 1, 2024, the Texas
112	112	Commission on Law Enforcement shall adopt the rules required by
113	113	Section 1701.171, Occupations Code, as added by this Act.
114	114	(b) Not later than October 1, 2024, the comptroller shall
115	115	establish the grant program required by Section 403.0303,
116	116	Government Code, as added by this Act.
117	117	SECTION 4. The amount of $24,540,000 is appropriated from
118	118	the general revenue fund to Fiscal Programs - Comptroller of Public
119	119	Accounts for the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2024, to
120	120	implement the grant program required by Section 403.0303,
121	121	Government Code, as added by this Act.
122	122	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
123	123	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
124	124	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
125	125	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
126	126	Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
127	127	legislative session.