BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4777

By: Plesa

Youth Health & Safety, Select

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

School resource officers are becoming more common in school districts across Texas. Interaction with these officers is often the first interaction children have with law enforcement, shaping their attitudes and feelings around law enforcement. The officers interact with diverse student populations and may encounter students who have unique needs and behavioral responses arising from trauma, grief, and mental health conditions. Currently, school resource officers are trained on student mental and behavioral health needs and de-escalation but lack training on the effects of mental health conditions on student behavior and the use of evidence-based strategies to support a safe school environment and protect the mental health of students affected by grief and trauma. H.B. 4777 seeks to integrate those topics into the existing training curriculum for school resource officers and school district peace officers.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 4777 amends the Occupations Code to require the model training curriculum for public school district peace officers and school resource officers to include a learning objective regarding the effects of mental health conditions on student behavior and the ways in which using evidence-based, grief-informed, and trauma-informed strategies support a safe school environment and protect the mental health of students affected by grief and trauma. The bill requires the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to amend the model training curriculum as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.