Bill Text: TX SB1124 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to qualifications of a sheriff or a candidate for sheriff.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-24 - Effective on 9/1/23 [SB1124 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB1124-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 1124 | ||
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| relating to qualifications of a sheriff or a candidate for sheriff. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 85.0011, Local Government Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 85.0011. QUALIFICATIONS FOR SHERIFF OR CANDIDATE FOR | ||
| SHERIFF. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Active duty" means current full-time military | ||
| service in the armed forces of the United States. | ||
| (2) "Armed forces of the United States" means the | ||
| army, navy, air force, space force, coast guard, or marine corps of | ||
| the United States or a reserve unit of one of those branches of the | ||
| armed forces. | ||
| (3) "Federal special investigator" means a person | ||
| described by Article 2.122, Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
| (4) "Military veteran" means a person who has served | ||
| on active duty and who was discharged or released from active duty. | ||
| (b) A person is not eligible to serve as sheriff unless the | ||
| person: | ||
| (1) has a high school diploma or a high school | ||
| equivalency certificate; and | ||
| (2) either: | ||
| (A) holds an active permanent peace officer | ||
| license under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code; or | ||
| (B) is eligible to be licensed under Sections | ||
| 1701.309 and 1701.312, Occupations Code, and: | ||
| (i) has a minimum of five years of | ||
| experience as a federal special investigator; or | ||
| (ii) is a military veteran with a minimum of | ||
| 10 years of combined active duty or national guard service | ||
| experience. | ||
| (c) A person is not eligible to be a candidate for the office | ||
| of sheriff unless the person holds an active permanent peace | ||
| officer license under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, or is a | ||
| person described by Subsection (b)(2)(B)(i) or (ii) and obtains a | ||
| license within the time provided by Section 1701.302(a), | ||
| Occupations Code. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 1701.302(a), Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Section 85.0011, Local Government | ||
| Code, an [ |
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| Constitution or a statute or appointed to fill a vacancy in an | ||
| elective office must obtain a license from the commission not later | ||
| than the second anniversary of the date the officer takes office. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 85.0025, Local Government Code, is | ||
| repealed. | ||
| SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections | ||
| 85.0011 and 85.0025, Local Government Code, do not apply to a | ||
| sheriff serving a term that began before the effective date of this | ||
| Act. A sheriff serving a term that began before the effective date | ||
| of this Act is governed for the remainder of that term by Sections | ||
| 85.0011 and 85.0025, Local Government Code, as those laws existed | ||
| immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the prior law | ||
| is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1124 passed the Senate on | ||
| April 19, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1124 passed the House on | ||
| May 12, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 124, Nays 19, two | ||
| present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
