By: Wilson H.B. No. 1406 73R5613 JRD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the educational requirements for certain peace officers 1-3 and reserve law enforcement officers. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 415.052(a), Government Code, is amended 1-6 to read as follows: 1-7 (a) The commission shall grant an appropriate license to a 1-8 person who, as required by this chapter, has: 1-9 (1) submitted a proper application; 1-10 (2) completed the required training and education; 1-11 (3) passed the required examination; 1-12 (4) been declared to be in satisfactory psychological 1-13 and emotional health and free from drug dependency or illegal drug 1-14 use; and 1-15 (5) demonstrated weapons proficiency. 1-16 SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 415, Government Code, is 1-17 amended by adding Section 415.0591 to read as follows: 1-18 Sec. 415.0591. EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. (a) The commission 1-19 shall adopt a rule providing that a person may be licensed as an 1-20 officer only if the person has successfully completed and received 1-21 credit for at least 15 semester hours of study from an accredited 1-22 college or university in addition to completing the training 1-23 requirements established by the commission under Section 415.032, 1-24 except as provided by Subsection (b). Of the required 15 semester 2-1 hours of study, at least three semester hours must be in a course 2-2 of English composition and at least three semester hours must be in 2-3 a course relating to state and local government. A person may 2-4 complete the minimum education requirements adopted under this 2-5 subsection through correspondence courses, courses offered at the 2-6 college or university, or a combination of those courses. 2-7 (b) The commission may license as an officer a person who 2-8 does not meet the education requirements adopted under Subsection 2-9 (a) if: 2-10 (1) the person: 2-11 (A) is younger than 21 years old; and 2-12 (B) has received an honorable discharge from the 2-13 United States armed forces after at least two years of service; or 2-14 (2) emergency circumstances, as determined by the 2-15 commission, require that the person be licensed. 2-16 (c) A person licensed as an officer by the commission under 2-17 Subsection (b)(1) must complete the minimum education requirements 2-18 adopted under Subsection (a) not later than three years after the 2-19 date on which the person becomes licensed, in addition to 2-20 completing the training requirements established under Section 2-21 415.032. A person licensed as an officer by the commission under 2-22 Subsection (b)(2) must complete the minimum education requirements 2-23 adopted under Subsection (a) not later than one year after the date 2-24 on which the person becomes licensed, in addition to completing the 2-25 training requirements established under Section 415.032. 2-26 (d) The commission shall revoke or suspend the license of an 2-27 officer who fails to complete the specified hours of study as 3-1 required by Subsection (c). 3-2 (e) This section does not apply to a person who was licensed 3-3 as an officer by the commission before September 1, 1994. 3-4 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1994. 3-5 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.