Bill Text: TX HB1855 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to training, continuing education, and weapons proficiency standards for correctional officers employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2015-06-20 - Vetoed by the Governor [HB1855 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB1855-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 1855 |
|
||
relating to training, continuing education, and weapons | ||
proficiency standards for correctional officers employed by the | ||
Texas Department of Criminal Justice. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Sections 493.032, 493.033, and 493.034 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 493.032. REQUIRED TRAINING FOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. | ||
(a) The department shall require each correctional officer | ||
employed by the department to complete, during the correctional | ||
officer's first 24 months of service, not less than 280 hours of | ||
training, including: | ||
(1) 140 hours of on-the-job training; and | ||
(2) mental health crisis intervention training. | ||
(b) The department, in consultation with the Texas | ||
Commission on Law Enforcement, shall develop mental health crisis | ||
intervention training to be part of the training required by | ||
Subsection (a)(2). | ||
(c) The department by rule shall provide temporary | ||
exceptions to the requirements of this section for a correctional | ||
officer who cannot complete the training required by Subsection (a) | ||
due to: | ||
(1) a medical emergency involving the officer or a | ||
member of the officer's family; | ||
(2) the officer's active military service; or | ||
(3) the officer's unit or facility being unable to | ||
provide training in a timely manner due to severe weather or a | ||
catastrophic event. | ||
(d) An exception created by the department under Subsection | ||
(c) must ensure compliance with the training requirements of this | ||
section as soon as practicable after the period required by this | ||
section. | ||
(e) The department shall indicate in the correctional | ||
officer's personnel file that the officer has completed the | ||
training required by this section. | ||
(f) A correctional officer is not required to complete | ||
training under this section if the officer's personnel file | ||
indicates that the officer has completed the training required by | ||
this section during a previous period of employment as a | ||
correctional officer during the preceding 36 months. | ||
(g) The department may suspend or otherwise discipline a | ||
correctional officer who fails to comply with the requirements of | ||
this section. | ||
Sec. 493.033. CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIRED FOR | ||
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS. (a) The department shall require each | ||
correctional officer employed by the department to complete at | ||
least 80 hours of continuing education programs once every 24 | ||
months. The department may suspend or otherwise discipline a | ||
correctional officer who fails to comply with this requirement. | ||
(b) As part of the continuing education requirement under | ||
Subsection (a), a correctional officer must complete a training and | ||
education program that covers the core requirements designated by | ||
the department. | ||
(c) The department shall develop specialized training for | ||
correctional officers that may be credited toward continuing | ||
education requirements. | ||
(d) The department by rule shall provide temporary | ||
exceptions to the continuing education requirements of this section | ||
for a correctional officer who cannot meet the continuing education | ||
requirements of this section due to: | ||
(1) a medical emergency involving the officer or a | ||
member of the officer's family; | ||
(2) the officer's active military service; or | ||
(3) the officer's unit or facility being unable to | ||
provide training in a timely manner due to severe weather or a | ||
catastrophic event. | ||
(e) An exception created by the department under Subsection | ||
(d) must ensure compliance with the continuing education | ||
requirements of this section as soon as practicable after the | ||
period required by this section. | ||
Sec. 493.034. CONTINUING DEMONSTRATION OF WEAPONS | ||
PROFICIENCY. (a) The department shall designate one or more | ||
firearms proficiency officers and require each correctional | ||
officer employed by the department to demonstrate weapons | ||
proficiency to a firearms proficiency officer at least annually. | ||
The department shall maintain records of the weapons proficiency of | ||
correctional officers. | ||
(b) The department by rule shall define weapons proficiency | ||
for purposes of this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Texas | ||
Department of Criminal Justice shall adopt rules as required by | ||
Sections 493.032, 493.033, and 493.034, Government Code, as added | ||
by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. (a) Section 493.032, Government Code, as added | ||
by this Act, applies only to a correctional officer hired by the | ||
Texas Department of Criminal Justice on or after the effective date | ||
of this Act. A correctional officer hired before the effective date | ||
of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the | ||
effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for | ||
that purpose. | ||
(b) Sections 493.033 and 493.034, Government Code, as added | ||
by this Act, apply to a correctional officer employed by the Texas | ||
Department of Criminal Justice on or after the effective date of | ||
this Act, regardless of whether the officer is hired before, on, or | ||
after that date. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 1855 was passed by the House on May 6, | ||
2015, by the following vote: Yeas 125, Nays 17, 2 present, not | ||
voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 1855 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
26, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
Date | ||
_____________________ | ||
Governor |