| 1 | 1 | | 89R10375 MZM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hinojosa of Nueces S.B. No. 1482 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the rural sheriff's office and constable's office |
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| 10 | 10 | | salary assistance grant programs. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 130.911(a), Local Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (3) "Qualified emergency dispatcher" means a person |
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| 15 | 15 | | who provides communication support services for a sheriff's office |
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| 16 | 16 | | by responding to requests for assistance in emergencies. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. Section 130.911(e), Local Government Code, is |
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| 18 | 18 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (e) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize |
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| 20 | 20 | | the use of the grant money only: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) to provide a minimum annual salary of at least: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) $75,000 for the county sheriff; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) $45,000 for each deputy who makes motor |
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| 24 | 24 | | vehicle stops in the routine performance of their duties; [and] |
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| 25 | 25 | | (C) $40,000 for each jailer whose duties include |
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| 26 | 26 | | the safekeeping of prisoners and the security of a jail operated by |
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| 27 | 27 | | the county; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (D) $40,000 for each qualified emergency |
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| 29 | 29 | | dispatcher; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) to increase the salary of a person described by |
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| 31 | 31 | | Subdivision (1); |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) to hire additional deputies or staff for the |
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| 33 | 33 | | sheriff's office; or |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) to purchase vehicles, firearms, and safety |
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| 35 | 35 | | equipment for the sheriff's office. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. Section 130.912(a), Local Government Code, is |
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| 37 | 37 | | amended by adding Subdivision (4) to read as follows: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (4) "Qualified emergency dispatcher" means a person |
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| 39 | 39 | | who provides communication support services for a constable's |
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| 40 | 40 | | office by responding to requests for assistance in emergencies. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 4. Sections 130.912(d), (e), and (g), Local |
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| 42 | 42 | | Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified |
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| 44 | 44 | | county that applies for the grant using money appropriated to the |
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| 45 | 45 | | comptroller for that purpose. The comptroller may only award a |
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| 46 | 46 | | grant to a county if the county agrees in writing to contribute at |
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| 47 | 47 | | least 75 percent of the money required to meet the minimum annual |
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| 48 | 48 | | salary requirement established under Subsection (e) for each |
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| 49 | 49 | | qualified constable and qualified emergency dispatcher for which |
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| 50 | 50 | | the county will also use grant money to provide that salary. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (e) Subject to Subsection (d), a county that is awarded a |
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| 52 | 52 | | grant shall use or authorize the use of the grant money only to |
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| 53 | 53 | | provide a minimum annual salary of: |
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| 54 | 54 | | (1) $45,000 to a qualified constable; and |
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| 55 | 55 | | (2) $40,000 to a qualified emergency dispatcher. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (g) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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| 57 | 57 | | implement this section, including rules that establish: |
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| 58 | 58 | | (1) a standardized application process, including the |
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| 59 | 59 | | form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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| 60 | 60 | | form; |
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| 61 | 61 | | (2) deadlines for: |
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| 62 | 62 | | (A) applying for the grant; |
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| 63 | 63 | | (B) disbursement of grant money; and |
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| 64 | 64 | | (C) spending grant money; |
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| 65 | 65 | | (3) procedures for: |
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| 66 | 66 | | (A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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| 67 | 67 | | ensure compliance with this section; and |
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| 68 | 68 | | (B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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| 69 | 69 | | a county for a purpose authorized by this section; and |
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| 70 | 70 | | (4) standards to determine if a constable or emergency |
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| 71 | 71 | | dispatcher is a qualified constable or qualified emergency |
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| 72 | 72 | | dispatcher. |
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| 73 | 73 | | SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 74 | 74 | | the award of a grant to a county during a fiscal year of the county |
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| 75 | 75 | | that begins on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 76 | 76 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 77 | 77 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 78 | 78 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 79 | 79 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 80 | 80 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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