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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the provision of state aid to certain counties for |
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increased costs incurred when officers employed by the Department |
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of Public Safety are reassigned to another area of the state to |
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secure the border. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 130.911 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.911. STATE AID TO CERTAIN COUNTIES ADVERSELY |
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AFFECTED BY REASSIGNMENT OF CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FOR |
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BORDER SECURITY. (a) This section applies only to a county that |
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has a population of 100,000 or less. |
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(b) A county that during the county's fiscal year incurs |
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increased costs associated with operating the county sheriff's |
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office because officers employed by the Department of Public Safety |
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who were assigned to perform law enforcement duties in the county |
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were reassigned to locations outside the county to secure the |
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international border of this state with the United Mexican States |
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is entitled to an assistance payment from the state. |
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(c) The amount of the assistance payment to which a county |
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is entitled is equal to the lesser of the following amounts: |
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(1) the amount equal to the increased costs described |
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by Subsection (b) during the county fiscal year for which the |
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payment is requested; or |
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(2) the amount equal to the product of: |
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(A) the number of hours that officers employed by |
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the Department of Public Safety would have spent performing law |
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enforcement duties in the county during the county fiscal year for |
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which the payment is requested if those officers had not been |
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reassigned to locations outside the county for the purpose |
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described by Subsection (b); and |
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(B) the average hourly wage of a patrol officer |
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employed by the Department of Public Safety during the county |
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fiscal year for which the payment is requested. |
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(d) A county must submit an application to the comptroller |
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not later than the 30th day after the last day of the county fiscal |
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year for which the assistance payment is requested to receive a |
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payment under this section. The application must be made on a form |
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prescribed by the comptroller. |
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(e) The comptroller shall review each application to |
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determine whether a county is entitled to an assistance payment |
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under this section. If the comptroller determines that the county |
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is entitled to the payment, the comptroller shall remit the payment |
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from available funds to the county not later than the 30th day after |
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the date the application for the payment is made. A county is |
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entitled to only one assistance payment under this section for each |
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county fiscal year. |
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(f) The Department of Public Safety shall provide to the |
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commissioners court of a county or the comptroller any information |
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requested by the commissioners court or the comptroller, including |
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information described by Subsection (c)(2)(B). |
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(g) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement and administer this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 130.911, Local Government Code, as added |
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by this Act, applies only to a county fiscal year that begins on or |
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after January 1, 2022. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2022, the comptroller |
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of public accounts shall adopt rules as required by Section |
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130.911(g), Local Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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legislative session. |