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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of grant programs to provide |
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financial assistance to qualified sheriff's departments in certain |
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rural counties. |
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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 130.9115 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.9115. RURAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGE RELIEF GRANT |
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PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Deputy-to-resident ratio" means the ratio of the |
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number of deputy sheriffs to the number of residents of the |
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unincorporated areas of the county, as determined by the population |
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estimates provided by the state demographer under Section 468.004, |
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Government Code. |
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(2) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by |
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the comptroller under the rural sheriff's deputy shortage relief |
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grant program established by this section. |
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(3) "Qualified county" means a county: |
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(A) with a population of 300,000 or less; and |
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(B) for which on January 1, 2025, the |
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deputy-to-resident ratio is less than 15 to 10,000. |
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(4) "Qualified deputy position" means a deputy sheriff |
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position in a qualified county that: |
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(A) is held or will be held by a deputy sheriff |
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who makes motor vehicle stops in the routine performance of the |
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deputy's duties; |
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(B) is in addition to a deputy sheriff position |
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held in the county on January 1, 2025; and |
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(C) when aggregated with each other qualified |
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deputy position would result in a deputy-to-resident ratio of 15 to |
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10,000, determined as of January 1, 2025. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the |
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rural sheriff's deputy shortage relief grant program to support the |
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state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement throughout |
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the state by providing financial assistance to sheriff's |
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departments in qualified counties. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an |
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application for a grant to the comptroller. The county must |
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indicate in the application the number of qualified deputy |
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positions the county is requesting for inclusion in the |
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determination of the amount of the grant for that fiscal year and |
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the number for which the county is requesting additional funds |
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described by Subsection (d)(2). A county may submit only one |
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application each fiscal year. |
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(d) Subject to Subsections (e), (f), and (j), the |
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comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified county that applies |
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for the grant using money appropriated to the comptroller for that |
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purpose. The grant must be in the following amount: |
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(1) $50,000 for each qualified deputy position |
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indicated by the county in the application for that fiscal year; and |
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(2) an additional $50,000 for each qualified deputy |
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position indicated in the application for that fiscal year, unless |
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the county has received a grant under this subdivision for that |
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position in a preceding fiscal year. |
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(e) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county that meets the deputy-to-resident ratio described |
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by Subsection (a)(4)(C) during a calendar year that begins on or |
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after January 1, 2025, but before the calendar year in which the |
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fiscal year begins. A qualified county is not eligible to receive a |
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grant under this section for a fiscal year unless the county adopts |
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a budget for the fiscal year that provides for the employment of a |
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number of deputy sheriffs necessary to meet the deputy-to-resident |
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ratio of at least 15 to 10,000, determined as of January 1 of the |
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calendar year in which the fiscal year begins. |
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(f) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county for which the number of qualified deputy positions |
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the county is otherwise entitled to receive a grant for under this |
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section is greater than the number of qualified deputy positions |
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the county would be entitled to receive a grant for under this |
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section if the deputy-to-resident ratio described by Subsection |
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(a)(4)(C) is determined as of January 1 of the calendar year in |
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which the fiscal year begins instead of January 1, 2025. A qualified |
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county is entitled to receive a grant under this section only for |
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the number of qualified deputy positions the county would be |
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entitled to receive a grant for if the deputy-to-resident ratio |
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described by Subsection (a)(4)(C) is determined as of January 1 of |
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the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins instead of January |
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1, 2025. |
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(g) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money only: |
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(1) to provide to each deputy sheriff who fills a |
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qualified deputy position a minimum annual salary of at least |
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$45,000; and |
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(2) subject to Subsection (h), to purchase vehicles, |
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firearms, and safety equipment for the use of a deputy sheriff who |
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fills a qualified deputy position. |
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(h) A county that is awarded a grant may not use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money for a purpose other than prescribed by |
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Subsection (g)(1) until that requirement is satisfied. |
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(i) A county that is awarded a grant may not reduce the |
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sheriff's department budget for the county's fiscal year following |
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the fiscal year in which the comptroller awards the grant. |
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(j) The total dollar amount awarded under this section may |
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not exceed $100 million in a state fiscal year. If the total dollar |
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amount of grants to which counties are entitled under this section |
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exceeds the limitation under this subsection in a state fiscal |
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year, the comptroller shall proportionally reduce the amount of |
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each grant awarded so the limitation is not exceeded. |
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(k) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section, including rules that establish: |
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(1) a standardized application process, including the |
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form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for the grant; |
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(B) disbursement of grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; and |
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(3) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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a county for a purpose authorized by this section. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 130.9116 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.9116. RURAL SHERIFF'S INVESTIGATOR SHORTAGE |
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RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Investigator-to-patrol ratio" means the ratio of |
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the number of deputy sheriffs who conduct case investigations in |
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the routine performance of the deputy's duties to the number of |
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deputy sheriffs who make motor vehicle stops in the routine |
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performance of the deputy's duties. |
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(2) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by |
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the comptroller under the rural sheriff's investigator shortage |
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relief grant program established by this section. |
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(3) "Qualified county" means a county: |
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(A) with a population of 300,000 or less; and |
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(B) for which on January 1, 2025 the |
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investigator-to-patrol ratio is less than 1 to 3; |
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(4) "Qualified deputy position" means a deputy sheriff |
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position in a qualified county that is held or will be held by a |
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deputy sheriff who makes motor vehicle stops in the routine |
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performance of the deputy's duties. |
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(5) "Qualified investigator position" means a deputy |
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sheriff position in a qualified county that: |
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(A) is held or will be held by a deputy sheriff |
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who conducts case investigations in the routine performance of the |
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deputy's duties; |
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(B) is in addition to a deputy sheriff position |
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held in the county on January 1, 2025; and |
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(C) when aggregated with each other qualified |
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investigator position would result in a investigator-to-patrol |
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ratio of 1 to 3, determined as of January 1, 2025. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the |
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rural sheriff's investigator shortage relief grant program to |
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support the state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement |
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throughout the state by providing financial assistance to sheriff's |
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departments in qualified counties. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an |
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application for a grant to the comptroller. The county must |
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indicate in the application the number of qualified investigator |
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positions the county is requesting for inclusion in the |
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determination of the amount of the grant for that fiscal year and |
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the number for which the county is requesting additional funds |
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described by Subsection (d)(2). A county may submit only one |
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application each fiscal year. |
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(d) Subject to Subsections (e), (f), and (j), the |
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comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified county that applies |
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for the grant using money appropriated to the comptroller for that |
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purpose. The grant must be in the following amount: |
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(1) $50,000 for each qualified investigator position |
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indicated by the county in the application for that fiscal year; |
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(2) an additional $50,000 for each qualified |
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investigator position indicated in the application for that fiscal |
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year, unless the county has received a grant under this subdivision |
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for that position in a preceding fiscal year. |
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(e) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county that meets the investigator-to-patrol ratio |
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described by Subsection (a)(5)(C) during a calendar year that |
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begins on or after January 1, 2025, but before the calendar year in |
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which the fiscal year begins. A qualified county is not eligible to |
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receive a grant under this section for a fiscal year unless the |
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county adopts a budget for the fiscal year that provides for the |
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employment of a number of deputy sheriffs necessary to meet the |
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investigator-to-patrol ratio of at least 1 to 3, determined as of |
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January 1 of the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins. |
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(f) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county for which the number of qualified investigator |
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positions the county is otherwise entitled to receive a grant for |
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under this section is greater than the number of qualified |
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investigator positions the county would be entitled to receive a |
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grant for under this section if the investigator-to-patrol ratio |
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described by Subsection (a)(5)(C) is determined as of January 1 of |
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the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins instead of January |
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1, 2025. A qualified county is entitled to receive a grant under |
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this section only for the number of qualified investigator |
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positions the county would be entitled to receive a grant for if the |
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investigator-to-patrol ratio described by Subsection (a)(5)(C) is |
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determined as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the fiscal |
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year begins instead of January 1, 2025. |
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(g) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money only: |
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(1) to provide to each deputy sheriff who fills a |
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qualified investigator position a minimum annual salary of at least |
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$45,000; and |
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(2) subject to Subsection (h), to purchase vehicles, |
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firearms, investigative tools, and safety equipment for the use of |
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a deputy sheriff who fills a qualified investigator position. |
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(h) A county that is awarded a grant may not use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money for a purpose other than prescribed by |
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Subsection (g)(1) until that requirement is satisfied. |
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(i) A county that is awarded a grant may not reduce the |
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sheriff's department budget for the county's fiscal year following |
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the fiscal year in which the comptroller awards the grant. |
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(j) The total dollar amount awarded under this section may |
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not exceed $50 million in a state fiscal year. If the total dollar |
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amount of grants to which counties are entitled under this section |
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exceeds the limitation under this subsection in a state fiscal |
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year, the comptroller shall proportionally reduce the amount of |
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each grant awarded so the limitation is not exceeded. |
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(k) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section, including rules that establish: |
|
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(1) a standardized application process, including the |
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form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for the grant; |
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(B) disbursement of grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; and |
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(3) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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a county for a purpose authorized by this section. |
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SECTION 3. A qualified county, as defined by Section |
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130.9115, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may not apply |
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for a grant under that section before January 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 4. A qualified county, as defined by Section |
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130.9116, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may not apply |
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for a grant under that section before January 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 5. Not later than January 1, 2026, the comptroller |
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of public accounts shall comply with the requirements of Sections |
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130.9115 and 130.9116, Local Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |