Bill Text: TX HB323 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to a law enforcement agency accreditation grant program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-3)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-10 - Referred to Finance [HB323 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB323-Engrossed.html
| By: King of Parker, Guillen, White, Bowers, | H.B. No. 323 | |
| Goodwin, et al. | ||
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| relating to a law enforcement agency accreditation grant program. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 772.0077 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 772.0077. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION GRANT | ||
| PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "criminal justice division" means | ||
| the criminal justice division established under Section 772.006. | ||
| (b) The criminal justice division shall establish and | ||
| administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a law | ||
| enforcement agency in this state for purposes of: | ||
| (1) obtaining or maintaining recognition through the | ||
| Texas Police Chiefs Association Law Enforcement Agency Best | ||
| Practices Recognition Program; | ||
| (2) becoming accredited or maintaining accreditation | ||
| by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, | ||
| Inc.; or | ||
| (3) becoming accredited or maintaining accreditation | ||
| by an association or organization designated by the criminal | ||
| justice division under Subsection (g). | ||
| (c) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not | ||
| exceed $50,000. | ||
| (d) The criminal justice division shall 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. | ||
| (e) Not later than December 1 of each year, the criminal | ||
| justice division shall submit to the Legislative Budget Board a | ||
| report that provides the following information for the preceding | ||
| state fiscal year: | ||
| (1) the name of each law enforcement agency that | ||
| applied for a grant under this section; and | ||
| (2) the amount of money distributed to each law | ||
| enforcement agency that received a grant under this section. | ||
| (f) The criminal justice division may use any revenue | ||
| available for purposes of this section. | ||
| (g) The criminal justice division, with the assistance of | ||
| the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, shall periodically review | ||
| associations and organizations that establish standards of | ||
| practice for law enforcement agencies and that offer accreditation | ||
| to agencies that meet those standards. On a determination by the | ||
| criminal justice division that accreditation of law enforcement | ||
| agencies in this state by an association or organization would | ||
| benefit public safety, the commission may designate the association | ||
| or organization as an accrediting agency for purposes of Subsection | ||
| (b)(3). | ||
| (h) Subject to Subsection (i), the criminal justice | ||
| division shall adopt rules requiring each law enforcement agency of | ||
| a municipality to obtain recognition or become accredited as | ||
| described by Subsection (b). The rules must require the law | ||
| enforcement agencies to obtain recognition or become accredited not | ||
| later than September 1, 2028, or, for an agency with 10 or fewer | ||
| peace officers, not later than September 1, 2031. The criminal | ||
| justice division shall implement a program to assist the law | ||
| enforcement agencies in obtaining recognition or becoming | ||
| accredited. | ||
| (i) The rules adopted under Subsection (h) must provide that | ||
| the requirement to obtain recognition or become accredited is only | ||
| in effect if the criminal justice division determines the grant | ||
| program established under this section is sufficiently funded to | ||
| provide a grant to each eligible applicant for purposes of | ||
| satisfying the requirement. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
