Bill Text: TX HB892 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a law enforcement agency accreditation grant program.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-28 - Left pending in committee [HB892 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB892-Introduced.html
| 88R6230 SHH-D | ||
| By: Burrows | H.B. No. 892 | |
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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 772.0079 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 772.0079. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION GRANT | ||
| PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "criminal justice division" means | ||
| the criminal justice division established under Section 772.006. | ||
| (b) This section applies only to a law enforcement agency | ||
| employing one or more peace officers described by Article 2.12(1), | ||
| (2), (3), (4), or (8), Code of Criminal Procedure. | ||
| (c) The criminal justice division shall establish and | ||
| administer a grant program to provide to each law enforcement | ||
| agency to which this section applies financial assistance for | ||
| purposes of becoming accredited or maintaining accreditation: | ||
| (1) through the Texas Police Chiefs Association Law | ||
| Enforcement Agency Best Practices Accreditation Program; | ||
| (2) by the Commission on Accreditation for Law | ||
| Enforcement Agencies, Inc.; | ||
| (3) by the International Association of Campus Law | ||
| Enforcement Administrators; or | ||
| (4) by an association or organization designated by | ||
| the criminal justice division under Subsection (h). | ||
| (d) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not | ||
| exceed $50,000. | ||
| (e) 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; | ||
| (5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant | ||
| awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any | ||
| conditions of a grant; and | ||
| (6) procedures for revoking a grant awarded under the | ||
| program if the law enforcement agency: | ||
| (A) is not accredited within the period specified | ||
| by the rules adopted under Subsection (i); or | ||
| (B) does not renew or otherwise maintain the | ||
| agency's accreditation. | ||
| (f) 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. | ||
| (g) The criminal justice division may use any revenue | ||
| available for purposes of this section. | ||
| (h) 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 | ||
| (c)(4). | ||
| (i) The criminal justice division shall adopt rules | ||
| requiring each law enforcement agency to which this section applies | ||
| to become accredited as described by Subsection (c). The rules must | ||
| require law enforcement agencies to become accredited as follows: | ||
| (1) not later than September 1, 2026, for law | ||
| enforcement agencies employing 50 or more peace officers; and | ||
| (2) not later than September 1, 2027, for law | ||
| enforcement agencies employing fewer than 50 peace officers. | ||
| (j) The criminal justice division shall implement a program | ||
| to assist eligible applicants in becoming accredited as required by | ||
| the rules adopted under Subsection (i). | ||
| (k) A law enforcement agency that receives a grant awarded | ||
| under the program annually shall report the agency's accreditation | ||
| status, including the applicable accrediting agency described by | ||
| Subsection (c)(1), (2), (3), or (4), to the Texas Commission on Law | ||
| Enforcement. | ||
| (l) The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement shall post on | ||
| the commission's Internet website a list of all law enforcement | ||
| agencies that are currently accredited as described by Subsection | ||
| (c). | ||
| 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, 2023. | ||
