TO:	Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on Finance
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB267 by King (Relating to a law enforcement agency accreditation grant program.), As Introduced

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would establish the Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Grant Program (Program) through the Office of the Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD), which would provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies in order to obtain and maintain accreditation.

The bill specifically mentions three accreditation organizations that are eligible for grants: Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA), the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), and the International Association for Law Enforcement Agencies (IACLEA). These organizations require a "continuation" or "re-recognition" fee as well as additional on-site assessment costs such as "lodging, airfare, the number of assessors utilized, and other actors specifically related to the assessed agency and the geographical area in which it is located."

The bill would require CJD to submit an annual report before December 1st that details the name of each law enforcement agency that applied for a grant through the Program and the amount of money distributed to each law enforcement agency that received grant through the Program.

The bill would enable CJD to use any revenue available for the purposes of the Program.

The bill would direct CJD, with the assistance of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), to periodically review associations and organizations that establish standards of practice for law enforcement agencies and that offer accreditation to agencies that meet those standards.

The bill would require CJD to adopt rules that require each law enforcement agency eligible for the Program to become accredited through TPCA, CALEA, IACLEA, or any other accreditation agency that is recognized by CJD. Law enforcement agencies with less than 50 employees would be required to attain accreditation by September 1, 2026, and agencies with more than 50 employees by September 1, 2027.

The bill would require CJD to implement a program to eligible law enforcement agencies in attaining accreditation.

The bill would require an agency that receives a grant award under the Program to submit an annual report concerning the agency's accreditation status.

The bill would require TCOLE to post a list on their website of all law enforcement agencies that are currently accredited by an entity recognized by CJD.

Methodology

According to the TCOLE, there are currently 2,209 active law enforcement agencies registered with TCOLE that match the grant eligibility criteria outlined in the bill. 

Accreditation programs for law enforcement agencies tend to vary in cost depending on the size of the agency. For example, CALEA charges $8,475 for an agency size of 1-24 employees whereas it charges $19,950 for an agency with 1,000+ employees. It is worth noting that the accreditation fee is not the only cost involved in a law enforcement agency seeking accreditation. For example, agencies might be charged separately for on-site costs of initial assessment. Costs might also vary depending on lodging, airfare, the number of assessors utilized, and other factors specifically related to agency assessment.

The bill does not limit specific costs that law enforcement agencies may seek under the grant program to only accreditation costs. Agencies are also able to seek grant funding for costs associated with employee time, policy development, officer training, indirect costs, and other costs related to the accreditation process.

It should be noted that the costs included as part of this fiscal note assume that all law enforcement agencies across Texas that meet the eligibility requirements of the bill would both apply for funding through the program and would each receive the maximum individual grant amount of $50,000. It is estimated that the cost of the bill would be an estimated $110.5 million in grant awards in fiscal year 2024. The cost of this program would be dependent on how much the Office of the Governor is appropriated for this program.

According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, no significant fiscal implications are anticipated from the provisions of the bill.

This analysis assumes the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources.

Local Government Impact

Local law enforcement agencies would be eligible to receive up to $50,000 per year to obtain or maintain accreditation.