BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3639

By: Morales, Christina

Youth Health & Safety, Select

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

On May 24th, 2022, 21 lives were taken in the Uvalde school shooting. This horrific tragedy exposed the multiple failures in our system that is entrusted with protecting our children and teachers on any given school day. Routine school drills are not enough to protect our schools. It is important that those who choose to serve as a peace officer or school resource officer are trained for future active shooter incidents. C.S.H.B. 3639 seeks to require peace officers, including school district peace officers, as well as school resource officers to routinely complete active shooter response training.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement in SECTION 2 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3639 amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to approve a training program on appropriate and effective law enforcement responses to an active shooter situation. The bill requires TCOLE to adopt rules requiring each peace officer to complete an approved course at least once in each four-year period.

C.S.H.B. 3639 amends the Education Code to make conforming changes with respect to training requirements for a school district peace officer or school resource officer.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3639 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes provisions not in the introduced requiring TCOLE to approve a training program on appropriate and effective law enforcement responses to an active shooter situation and, by rule, requires each peace officer to complete an approved training course at least once in each four-year period.

Whereas the introduced required that a school district peace officer or school resource officer complete active shooter response training at least once in each two-year period, the substitute instead requires them to complete the training as required for all peace officers under the bill.