Bill Text: TX SB23 | 2023 | 88th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to law enforcement agency accreditation, including a grant program to assist agencies in becoming accredited; making an appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-10-06 - Filed [SB23 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB23-Introduced.html
| 88S30240 SHH-D | ||
| By: King | S.B. No. 23 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to law enforcement agency accreditation, including a grant | ||
| program to assist agencies in becoming accredited; making an | ||
| appropriation. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 403.0303 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 403.0303. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION GRANT | ||
| PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "law enforcement agency" has the | ||
| meaning assigned by Section 1701.171, Occupations Code. | ||
| (b) The comptroller shall establish and administer a grant | ||
| program to provide financial assistance for purposes of becoming | ||
| accredited as required by the rules adopted under Section 1701.171, | ||
| Occupations Code, to each law enforcement agency that employs fewer | ||
| than 250 peace officers. | ||
| (c) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a | ||
| law enforcement agency must have executed a contract with an | ||
| accrediting entity described by Section 1701.171(b), Occupations | ||
| Code, and complete an initial assessment by the accrediting entity. | ||
| (d) Based on the results of the initial assessment completed | ||
| under Subsection (c), a law enforcement agency may request grant | ||
| funds for reimbursement of an accreditation fee, staff overtime, or | ||
| temporary staffing necessary to become accredited. | ||
| (e) Grant money provided under this section may only be used | ||
| by a law enforcement agency for the purposes of becoming | ||
| accredited. A law enforcement agency may not receive more than one | ||
| grant under this section. | ||
| (f) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not | ||
| exceed $30,000. | ||
| (g) The comptroller shall establish: | ||
| (1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; | ||
| (2) grant application procedures; | ||
| (3) guidelines relating to grant amounts; | ||
| (4) procedures for evaluating grant applications, | ||
| including prioritizing applications from law enforcement agencies | ||
| employing fewer than 100 peace officers; | ||
| (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 is not accredited within the | ||
| period specified by the rules adopted under Section 1701.171, | ||
| Occupations Code. | ||
| (h) Not later than December 1 of each year, the comptroller | ||
| 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. | ||
| (i) The comptroller may use any revenue available for | ||
| purposes of this section. | ||
| (j) Notwithstanding any other law or rule, beginning | ||
| September 1, 2029, a law enforcement agency must be accredited as | ||
| provided by the rules adopted under Section 1701.171, Occupations | ||
| Code, to be eligible to receive any grant supporting law | ||
| enforcement operations or equipment acquisition administered by | ||
| the comptroller other than a grant under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 1701.171 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 1701.171. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION. (a) | ||
| In this section, "law enforcement agency" means: | ||
| (1) a law enforcement agency that employs at least 20 | ||
| peace officers described by Article 2.12(1), (3), (4), (8), or | ||
| (10), Code of Criminal Procedure, to answer emergency calls for | ||
| service or conduct patrol operations, traffic enforcement, or | ||
| criminal investigations; or | ||
| (2) a school district police department. | ||
| (b) The commission shall adopt rules requiring each law | ||
| enforcement agency to become accredited and maintain | ||
| 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; | ||
| (4) by an accreditation program developed by the | ||
| Sheriffs' Association of Texas; or | ||
| (5) by an association or organization designated by | ||
| the commission as provided by Subsection (e). | ||
| (c) The rules adopted under Subsection (b) must require a | ||
| law enforcement agency that is not already accredited to: | ||
| (1) execute a contract with an approved accrediting | ||
| entity not later than September 1, 2027; and | ||
| (2) become accredited not later than September 1, | ||
| 2029. | ||
| (d) The commission shall implement a program to assist law | ||
| enforcement agencies in becoming accredited as required by the | ||
| rules adopted under Subsection (b). | ||
| (e) The commission 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 majority vote of the commission 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 entity for purposes of Subsection (b)(5). | ||
| (f) A law enforcement agency shall annually report the | ||
| agency's accreditation status, including the applicable | ||
| accrediting entity described by Subsection (b), to the commission. | ||
| (g) The commission shall post on the commission's Internet | ||
| website a list of all law enforcement agencies that are currently | ||
| accredited or under contract with an accrediting entity as | ||
| described by Subsection (b). | ||
| SECTION 3. (a) Not later than September 1, 2024, the Texas | ||
| Commission on Law Enforcement shall adopt the rules required by | ||
| Section 1701.171, Occupations Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| (b) Not later than October 1, 2024, the comptroller shall | ||
| establish the grant program required by Section 403.0303, | ||
| Government Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 4. The amount of $24,540,000 is appropriated from | ||
| the general revenue fund to Fiscal Programs - Comptroller of Public | ||
| Accounts for the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2024, to | ||
| implement the grant program required by Section 403.0303, | ||
| Government Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 5. 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 on the 91st day after the last day of the | ||
| legislative session. | ||
