Bill Text: TX HB43 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to peace officers and law enforcement agencies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-07-07 - Filed [HB43 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB43-Introduced.html
| 87S10200 JCG-F | ||
| By: Reynolds | H.B. No. 43 | |
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| relating to peace officers and law enforcement agencies. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 180, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 180.010 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 180.010. REQUIRED PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY EVENTS | ||
| FOR CERTAIN PEACE OFFICERS. (a) A law enforcement agency of a | ||
| municipality or county shall adopt a policy requiring a peace | ||
| officer to participate in at least eight hours of community events | ||
| in the municipality or county not later than the 60th day after the | ||
| date the peace officer begins employment with the agency. | ||
| (b) The law enforcement agency may grant extensions of the | ||
| period described by Subsection (a) based on reasonable grounds. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Sections 1701.165 and 1701.166 to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| Sec. 1701.165. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN AGENCIES. (a) The | ||
| commission shall establish and administer a grant program through | ||
| which eligible municipalities and counties may apply for a grant to | ||
| provide increased compensation to peace officers employed by the | ||
| law enforcement agency of the municipality or county based on | ||
| criteria described by Subsection (b) and any additional criteria | ||
| the commission adopts by rule. | ||
| (b) In awarding grants under the grant program, the | ||
| commission shall consider the extent to which the peace officers | ||
| employed by the law enforcement agency of the applicant | ||
| municipality or county: | ||
| (1) hold bachelor's degrees or higher from an | ||
| accredited public or private institution of higher education; | ||
| (2) reside in the applicable municipality or county; | ||
| and | ||
| (3) have received certificates of distinction under | ||
| Section 1701.4025. | ||
| (c) The commission may establish: | ||
| (1) additional eligibility criteria for grant | ||
| applicants; | ||
| (2) grant application procedures; | ||
| (3) guidelines relating to grant amounts; | ||
| (4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; and | ||
| (5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant | ||
| awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any | ||
| conditions of a grant. | ||
| (d) The commission may use any revenue available for | ||
| purposes of this section. | ||
| Sec. 1701.166. ANNUAL EVALUATION OF CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT | ||
| AGENCIES. (a) The commission shall annually evaluate each law | ||
| enforcement agency of a municipality or county for professionalism | ||
| based on criteria described by Subsection (b) and any additional | ||
| criteria the commission adopts by rule. | ||
| (b) In conducting an evaluation of a law enforcement agency | ||
| under Subsection (a), the commission shall consider whether: | ||
| (1) at least half of the peace officers of the agency | ||
| reside in the applicable municipality or county; | ||
| (2) the peace officers of the agency in supervisory | ||
| positions hold bachelor's degrees or higher from an accredited | ||
| public or private institution of higher education; | ||
| (3) the peace officers of the agency each perform 30 or | ||
| more hours of community service annually; | ||
| (4) the agency has a citizens academy or youth | ||
| enrichment program; and | ||
| (5) the peace officers of the agency are certified as | ||
| special officers for offenders with mental impairments under | ||
| Section 1701.404. | ||
| (c) The commission shall make available on the commission's | ||
| Internet website the results of the evaluations. | ||
| (d) The commission may establish and administer a grant | ||
| program and use any revenue available for purposes of this | ||
| subsection to award grants to agencies that receive positive | ||
| evaluations. The commission may adopt rules to administer the | ||
| grant program. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 1701.253, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subsection (q) to read as follows: | ||
| (q) As part of the minimum curriculum requirements, the | ||
| commission shall require an officer to complete a training program | ||
| on implicit bias that consists of not less than eight hours of | ||
| training. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 1701.351, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subsection (a-3) to read as follows: | ||
| (a-3) As part of the continuing education programs under | ||
| Subsection (a), a peace officer must complete a training and | ||
| education program developed by the commission that includes not | ||
| less than: | ||
| (1) four hours of training on implicit bias; and | ||
| (2) eight hours of training on de-escalation and | ||
| crisis intervention techniques. | ||
| SECTION 5. Subchapter I, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 1701.4025 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 1701.4025. CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION FOR CERTAIN | ||
| ACHIEVEMENTS. (a) The commission shall issue a certificate of | ||
| distinction to an officer who: | ||
| (1) performs more than 40 hours of community service | ||
| during a continuing education training period described by Section | ||
| 1701.351(a); | ||
| (2) completes more than 50 hours of continuing | ||
| education programs approved by the commission during a continuing | ||
| education training period described by Section 1701.351(a); or | ||
| (3) provides more than 25 hours of instruction in | ||
| continuing education programs approved by the commission in a | ||
| calendar year. | ||
| (b) The commission shall adopt rules for the administration | ||
| of this section, including rules for reporting community service | ||
| hours and hours providing instruction in continuing education | ||
| programs. | ||
| (c) The commission may use the employment records of an | ||
| employing law enforcement agency in determining whether an officer | ||
| qualifies for a certificate of distinction. | ||
| SECTION 6. Section 180.010, Local Government Code, as added | ||
| by this Act, applies only to a peace officer first employed on or | ||
| after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 7. Not later than September 1, 2022, the Texas | ||
| Commission on Law Enforcement shall: | ||
| (1) begin conducting evaluations under Section | ||
| 1701.166, Occupations Code, as added by this Act; and | ||
| (2) adopt rules necessary to implement that section. | ||
| SECTION 8. Section 1701.253(q), Occupations Code, as added | ||
| by this Act, applies only to a person who submits an application for | ||
| a peace officer license under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, on or | ||
| after January 1, 2022. A person who submits an application for a | ||
| peace officer license under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, before | ||
| January 1, 2022, is governed by the law in effect immediately before | ||
| the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in | ||
| effect for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 9. Not later than January 1, 2022, the Texas | ||
| Commission on Law Enforcement shall develop the training and | ||
| education program required by and adopt rules necessary to | ||
| implement Section 1701.351(a-3), Occupations Code, as added by this | ||
| Act. | ||
| SECTION 10. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the | ||
| last day of the legislative session. | ||
