Bill Text: TX HB1487 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of a rural county law enforcement grant program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 23-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-12 - Referred to Local Government [HB1487 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1487-Engrossed.html
By: Gerdes, Bailes, Kitzman, Holland, Murr, | H.B. No. 1487 | |
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relating to the creation of a rural county law enforcement grant | ||
program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 403, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter T to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER T. RURAL COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 403.571. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "rural | ||
county law enforcement agency" means any of the following if | ||
located in a county with a population of 275,000 or less: | ||
(1) a sheriff's office; | ||
(2) a constable's office; | ||
(3) a district attorney's office; | ||
(4) a criminal district attorney's office; or | ||
(5) a county attorney's office with criminal | ||
prosecution duties. | ||
Sec. 403.572. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM. The | ||
comptroller shall establish and administer a grant program through | ||
which a rural county law enforcement agency may apply for a grant | ||
that may be used to pay for: | ||
(1) the salaries of sheriffs, sheriff's deputies, | ||
jailers, or office support staff, including the hiring of | ||
additional deputies, jailers, and office support staff; | ||
(2) the salaries of constables and deputy constables, | ||
including the hiring of additional deputies; | ||
(3) the salaries of assistant prosecuting attorneys, | ||
investigators, victim assistance coordinators, or office support | ||
staff, including the hiring of additional attorneys, | ||
investigators, coordinators, and office support staff; | ||
(4) any costs for the recruitment of staff; | ||
(5) the purchase, lease, or maintenance of equipment, | ||
vehicles, office technology services and hardware, and office | ||
infrastructure and related facilities; and | ||
(6) any costs for personnel training and related | ||
office expenses, including training to obtain or maintain an | ||
accreditation related to the position of the person undergoing the | ||
training. | ||
Sec. 403.573. AMOUNT OF GRANTS. (a) The comptroller shall | ||
award a grant to a rural county law enforcement agency that applies | ||
for the grant using money appropriated to the comptroller for that | ||
purpose. | ||
(b) A rural county law enforcement agency that is a | ||
sheriff's office or constable's office may be awarded a grant of not | ||
more than: | ||
(1) $250,000, if the applicant is located in a county | ||
with a population of less than 10,000; | ||
(2) $350,000, if the applicant is located in a county | ||
with a population of 10,000 or more but less than 50,000; or | ||
(3) $500,000, if the applicant is located in a county | ||
with a population of 50,000 or more but not more than 275,000. | ||
(c) A rural county law enforcement agency that is a district | ||
attorney's office, a criminal district attorney's office, or a | ||
county attorney's office with criminal prosecution duties may be | ||
awarded a grant of not more than: | ||
(1) $100,000, if the applicant is located in a county | ||
with a population of less than 10,000; | ||
(2) $175,000, if the applicant is located in a county | ||
with a population of 10,000 or more but less than 50,000; or | ||
(3) $275,000, if the applicant is located in a county | ||
with a population of 50,000 or more but not more than 275,000. | ||
(d) For purposes of Subsection (c), a multi-county district | ||
attorney's office is considered to be located in the county in the | ||
district with the largest population. | ||
Sec. 403.574. LIMITATION ON GRANT APPLICATIONS. A rural | ||
county law enforcement agency may apply for a grant under this | ||
subchapter not more than once each fiscal year of the county in | ||
which the agency is located. | ||
Sec. 403.575. APPROVAL OF COMMISSIONERS COURT REQUIRED. | ||
Before a rural law enforcement agency uses money received from a | ||
grant awarded under this subchapter for a purpose described by | ||
Section 403.572, the agency must obtain written approval to use the | ||
money for that purpose from the commissioners court of the county in | ||
which the agency is located. The commissioners court of a county | ||
may not reduce the amount of money provided to a rural county law | ||
enforcement agency because of grant funds provided under this | ||
subchapter to the rural county law enforcement agency. | ||
Sec. 403.576. DUTY TO RETURN UNSPENT GRANT MONEY. A rural | ||
county law enforcement agency that is awarded a grant under this | ||
subchapter shall return any unspent money awarded under that grant | ||
to the comptroller not later than the second anniversary of the date | ||
on which the money was disbursed to the agency. | ||
Sec. 403.577. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each | ||
even-numbered year, the comptroller shall submit to the legislature | ||
a report on the results and performance of the grant program | ||
established under this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 403.578. RULES. The comptroller shall adopt rules to | ||
administer this subchapter, including rules that establish: | ||
(1) 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. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2024. |