| 1 | 1 | | 89R10708 CJD-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: King S.B. No. 1329 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to school district police department accreditation, |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | including a grant program to assist departments in becoming |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | accredited. |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | amended by adding Section 403.0303 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 403.0303. SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | ACCREDITATION GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The comptroller shall establish |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | and administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | school district police department in this state for purposes of |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | becoming accredited as required by the rules adopted under Section |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | 1701.171, Occupations Code. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | school district police department must have executed a contract |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | with an accrediting entity described by Section 1701.171(a), |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | Occupations Code, and complete an initial assessment by the |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | accrediting entity. |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (c) Based on the results of the initial assessment completed |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | under Subsection (b), a school district police department may |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | request grant funds for reimbursement of an accreditation fee, |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | staff overtime, or temporary staffing necessary to become |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | accredited. |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (d) Grant money provided under this section may only be used |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | by a school district police department for the purposes of becoming |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | accredited. A school district police department may not receive |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | more than one grant under this section. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (e) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | exceed $30,000. |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (f) The comptroller shall establish: |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (2) grant application procedures; |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (3) guidelines relating to grant amounts; |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; |
|---|
| 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 school district police department is not accredited |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | within the period specified by the rules adopted under Section |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | 1701.171, Occupations Code. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (g) 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 school district police department |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | that applied for a grant under this section; and |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (2) the amount of money distributed to each school |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | district police department that received a grant under this |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | section. |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | (h) The comptroller may use any revenue available for |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | purposes of this section. |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (i) Notwithstanding any other law or rule, beginning |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | September 1, 2031, a school district police department must be |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | accredited as provided by the rules adopted under Section 1701.171, |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | Occupations Code, to be eligible to receive any grant supporting |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | law enforcement operations or equipment acquisition administered |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | by the comptroller other than a grant under this section. |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | amended by adding Section 1701.171 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | Sec. 1701.171. SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENT |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | ACCREDITATION. (a) The commission shall adopt rules requiring |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | each school district police department to become accredited and |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | maintain accreditation: |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | (1) through the Texas Police Chiefs Association Law |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | Enforcement Agency Best Practices Accreditation Program; |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | (2) by the Commission on Accreditation for Law |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | Enforcement Agencies, Inc.; or |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | (3) by an association or organization designated by |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | the commission as provided by Subsection (d). |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | (b) The rules adopted under Subsection (a) must require a |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | school district police department that is not already accredited |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | to: |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | (1) execute a contract with an approved accrediting |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | entity not later than September 1, 2029; and |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | (2) become accredited not later than September 1, |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | 2031. |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | (c) The commission shall implement a program to assist |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | school district police departments in becoming accredited as |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | required by the rules adopted under Subsection (a). |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | (d) The commission shall periodically review associations |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | and organizations that establish standards of practice for school |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | district police departments and that offer accreditation to |
|---|
| 90 | 90 | | departments that meet those standards. On a majority vote of the |
|---|
| 91 | 91 | | commission that accreditation of school district police |
|---|
| 92 | 92 | | departments in this state by an association or organization would |
|---|
| 93 | 93 | | benefit public safety, the commission may designate the association |
|---|
| 94 | 94 | | or organization as an accrediting entity for purposes of Subsection |
|---|
| 95 | 95 | | (a)(3). |
|---|
| 96 | 96 | | (e) A school district police department shall annually |
|---|
| 97 | 97 | | report the department's accreditation status, including the |
|---|
| 98 | 98 | | applicable accrediting entity described by Subsection (a), to the |
|---|
| 99 | 99 | | commission. |
|---|
| 100 | 100 | | (f) The commission shall post on the commission's Internet |
|---|
| 101 | 101 | | website a list of all school district police departments that are |
|---|
| 102 | 102 | | currently accredited by, or under contract with, an accrediting |
|---|
| 103 | 103 | | entity described by Subsection (a). |
|---|
| 104 | 104 | | SECTION 3. (a) Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas |
|---|
| 105 | 105 | | Commission on Law Enforcement shall adopt the rules required by |
|---|
| 106 | 106 | | Section 1701.171, Occupations Code, as added by this Act. |
|---|
| 107 | 107 | | (b) Not later than January 1, 2026, the comptroller shall |
|---|
| 108 | 108 | | establish the grant program required by Section 403.0303, |
|---|
| 109 | 109 | | Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|---|
| 110 | 110 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 111 | 111 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 112 | 112 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 113 | 113 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 114 | 114 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|