Bill Text: TX HB2467 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to a grant program to support the provision of critical incident stress debriefing to certain peace officers.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-08 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2467 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB2467-Comm_Sub.html
85R27012 JCG-D | |||
By: Davis of Harris, Guerra, Burkett | H.B. No. 2467 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2467: | |||
By: Price | C.S.H.B. No. 2467 |
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relating to a grant program to support the provision of critical | ||
incident stress debriefing to certain peace officers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 772.0074 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 772.0074. CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS DEBRIEFING GRANT | ||
PROGRAM. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal | ||
justice division established under Section 772.006. | ||
(2) "Critical incident" means an incident involving a | ||
peace officer that occurs while the officer is performing official | ||
duties and that results in serious bodily injury to the officer or | ||
poses a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death to the | ||
officer or of serious harm to the officer's mental health or | ||
well-being. | ||
(3) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the | ||
state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state that is | ||
authorized by law to employ peace officers. | ||
(4) "Peace officer" has the meaning assigned by | ||
Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and | ||
administer a grant program to assist law enforcement agencies in | ||
providing critical incident stress debriefing to peace officers who | ||
experience critical incidents while performing official duties. | ||
(c) The criminal justice division may award a grant under | ||
this section to: | ||
(1) a law enforcement agency for the agency to provide | ||
critical incident stress debriefing to peace officers employed by | ||
the agency; or | ||
(2) any other agency or organization to assist the | ||
agency or organization in providing support for the grant program, | ||
including support related to the development, implementation, | ||
management, or evaluation of the grant program, as determined | ||
necessary by the division. | ||
(d) A law enforcement agency that receives a grant under | ||
this section must: | ||
(1) inform each peace officer employed by the agency | ||
about: | ||
(A) the program, including opportunities to | ||
participate in the program; and | ||
(B) if the officer participates in the program, | ||
the confidentiality protections described by Subsection (e); and | ||
(2) certify in writing that the agency will not use | ||
disciplinary action or any other form of punishment, including the | ||
refusal of a promotion, to discourage or prohibit an officer's | ||
participation in the critical incident stress debriefing offered by | ||
the agency. | ||
(e) Critical incident stress debriefing provided using | ||
money distributed under the grant program is subject to the | ||
confidentiality protections provided under Section 784.003, Health | ||
and Safety Code. | ||
(f) The criminal justice division shall establish: | ||
(1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; | ||
(2) grant application procedures; | ||
(3) procedures for evaluating grant applications; | ||
(4) the minimum qualifications necessary for a person | ||
to conduct critical incident stress debriefing that is provided | ||
using money distributed under the grant program; and | ||
(5) guidance for the development of critical incident | ||
stress debriefing curricula, materials, and best practices. | ||
(g) The criminal justice division shall include in the | ||
biennial report required by Section 772.006(a)(9) a detailed | ||
reporting of the results and performance of the grant program | ||
administered under this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2017, the criminal | ||
justice division of the governor's office shall establish the grant | ||
program required by Section 772.0074, Government Code, as added by | ||
this Act, and, not later than January 1, 2018, shall begin to award | ||
grants under the program. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |