Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5526 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1		By: Slawson H.B. No. 5526
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4	6		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	7		AN ACT
6	8		relating to a school security volunteer program in certain
7	9		counties.
8	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	11		SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is
10	12		amended by adding Section 37.0817 to read as follows:
11	13		Sec. 37.0817. SCHOOL SECURITY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. (a) In
12	14		this section:
13	15		(1) "Honorably retired" has the meaning assigned by
14	16		Section 411.199(c), Government Code.
15	17		(2) "Qualified retired law enforcement officer" means
16	18		a person who:
17	19		(A) meets the qualifications provided by 18
18	20		U.S.C. Section 926C(c); and
19	21		(B) is honorably retired.
20	22		(3) "Veteran" has the meaning assigned by Section
21	23		521.1235, Transportation Code.
22	24		(b) This section applies only to a school district or
23	25		open-enrollment charter school located in a county with a
24	26		population of less than one million.
25	27		(c) The board of trustees of a school district to which this
26	28		section applies, or the governing body of an open-enrollment
27	29		charter school to which this section applies, may approve a program
28	30		under which the district or school provides written regulations or
29	31		written authorization for eligible persons to serve as school
30	32		security volunteers by:
31	33		(1) providing security services for the district or
32	34		school on school grounds, including any location in which an
33	35		activity sponsored by the district or school is being conducted,
34	36		and in school vehicles; and
35	37		(2) carrying a handgun in providing the security
36	38		services under Subdivision (1).
37	39		(d) A person is eligible to serve as a school security
38	40		volunteer for a program approved under this section only if:
39	41		(1) the person is not:
40	42		(A) an employee of the district or school;
41	43		(B) a contractor providing services under a
42	44		contract with the district or school; or
43	45		(C) a person who otherwise receives compensation
44	46		or remuneration from the district or school;
45	47		(2) the person is:
46	48		(A) a qualified retired law enforcement officer;
47	49		or
48	50		(B) a veteran; and
49	51		(3) the board of trustees or governing body determines
50	52		the person is eligible based on the results of a criminal background
51	53		check conducted on the person using criminal history record
52	54		information obtained by the district or school in accordance with
53	55		Section 22.0835.
54	56		(e) A school district that approves a program under this
55	57		section must include the program in the district's multihazard
56	58		emergency operations plan required under Section 37.108. An
57	59		open-enrollment charter school that approves a program under this
58	60		section must adopt and implement measures to ensure, in an
59	61		emergency, coordination with the Department of State Health
60	62		Services and local emergency management agencies, law enforcement
61	63		agencies, health departments, and fire departments.
62	64		(f) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
63	65		that approves a program under this section must provide to each
64	66		school security volunteer a course of instruction on the safety and
65	67		security policies of the district or school. A district must
66	68		include instruction about the district's multihazard emergency
67	69		operations plan adopted under Section 37.108.
68	70		(g) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
69	71		that approves a program under this section must:
70	72		(1) provide to each person serving as a school
71	73		security volunteer under the program a uniform that clearly
72	74		identifies the person as a school security volunteer; and
73	75		(2) require each school security volunteer to wear a
74	76		uniform described by Subdivision (1) while providing security
75	77		services at the district or school in the manner provided under
76	78		Subsection (c).
77	79		(h) A person who serves as a school security volunteer under
78	80		this section is not a commissioned peace officer or a school
79	81		resource officer, as defined by Section 1701.601, Occupations Code,
80	82		and may not, in providing security services in the manner allowed
81	83		under Subsection (c), engage in law enforcement activities or
82	84		otherwise exercise powers or duties reserved to commissioned peace
83	85		officers or school resource officers under this chapter or other
84	86		law.
85	87		(i) A school security volunteer is immune from civil
86	88		liability to the same extent as a professional employee of a school
87	89		district under Section 22.0511. This subsection does not limit the
88	90		liability of a person for intentional misconduct or gross
89	91		negligence.
90	92		SECTION 2. Subchapter N, Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, is
91	93		amended by adding Section 1702.334 to read as follows:
92	94		Sec. 1702.334. SCHOOL SECURITY VOLUNTEERS. This chapter
93	95		does not apply to a person who serves as a school security volunteer
94	96		for a school district or open-enrollment charter school under a
95	97		program adopted under Section 37.0817, Education Code.
96	98		SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies
97	99		beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
98	100		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
99	101		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
100	102		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
101	103		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
102	104		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.