BILL ANALYSIS



C.S.H.B. 1953
By: Oakley
04-20-95
Committee Report (Substituted)


BACKGROUND

Currently, there are no provisions for law enforcement management
training for police chiefs.  
In order to provide a chief with the law enforcement management
information needed as a chief, new courses of initial training and
continuing education must be implemented.  

PURPOSE

As proposed HB 1953 will require the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement
Management Institute  of Texas to establish a program of initial,
and continuing education for police chiefs, to be approved by the
Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and
Education.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Additional rulemaking authority will be granted to the Bill
Blackwood Law Enforcement Management institute of Texas and the
Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education
in Subchapter D, Chapter 96, Section 96.641, Education code
(Section 1 of the bill).

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 96, Education Code by
adding Section 96.641 to 

(a)  Require the Institute to establish a program of initial
training and continuing education courses for police chiefs, with
the curriculum being approved by TCLEOSE.

(b)  Each chief must receive at least 40 hours of training every 24
months.

(c)  A newly appointed chief will receive not fewer than 80 hours
of initial training for new chiefs.

(d)  A new chief has two years to complete the initial training. 
One year after the completion of the initial training is complete,
the next 24 month training period, described in (b), begins.

(e)  The institute may provide a waiver of;
     
     (1)  The requirement of the initial 80 hours of training for
new chiefs, if the new chief has completed equivalent training in
the preceding 24 months.

     (2)  The continuing education requirements of subsection (b)
if the individual has received equivalent training in the preceding
24 months.

(f)  A police chief who is subject to the continuing education
requirements, is exempt from other continuing education
requirements under Chapter 415.034, Government code.

(g)  "Police chief" is defined as the head of a police department.




SECTION 2.  (a) Effective date September 1, 1995

(b)  The continuing education programs shall be established by
January 1, 1996.

(c)  Section 96.641 (c), Government Code, as added by this act,
applies only to an individual appointed or elected as police chief
on or after January 1, 1997.

SECTION 3.  Emergency Clause

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

CSHB 1953 specifically refers to the curriculum being approved by
Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and
Education.

CSHB specifically refers to Section 415.034, Government Code as
being the continuing education requirements to be exempted.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

H.B. 1953 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
March 28, 1995.  
The following person testified for the bill:
     Jimmy Ray Fawcett, representing The Texas Police Chiefs
Association.
The following person testified against the bill:
     Jim Lyde, representing the Texas Municipal Police Association.
The bill was left pending.
H.B. 1953 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
April 11, 1995.  
The committee considered a complete substitute for the bill.  The
substitute was adopted without objection.  The bill was reported
favorably as substituted, with the recommendation that it do pass
and be printed, by a record vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 4
absent.