By Allen, Turner of Coleman, Cook H.B. No. 184
74R744 PEP-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to membership and continuing education requirements of the
1-3 Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and
1-4 Education.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Sections 415.004(b) and (c), Government Code, are
1-7 amended to read as follows:
1-8 (b) Three members must be a sheriff, constable, or chief of
1-9 police. Three members must be persons licensed under this chapter,
1-10 two of whom must be peace officers who when appointed hold
1-11 nonsupervisory positions with a law enforcement agency. A licensed
1-12 member must have been licensed for the five consecutive years
1-13 preceding the date of the member's appointment. Three members must
1-14 be members of the general public. A public member may include a
1-15 county or municipal official.
1-16 (c) Appointed members serve staggered six-year terms, with
1-17 the terms of three members, one of whom must be a public member,
1-18 expiring on August 30 of each odd-numbered year.
1-19 SECTION 2. Sections 415.034(a), (b), and (f), Government
1-20 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-21 (a) The commission shall recognize, prepare, or administer
1-22 continuing education programs for officers and county jailers that
1-23 are consistent with the officers' and jailers' duties. The
1-24 commission shall annually prepare and, on request, provide to a
2-1 state, county, special district, or municipal agency that appoints
2-2 or employs officers or jailers a list of continuing education
2-3 programs the commission determines are consistent or inconsistent
2-4 with the duties of specified officers and jailers.
2-5 (b) The commission shall require a state, county, special
2-6 district, or municipal agency that appoints or employs peace
2-7 officers to provide each peace officer with a training program
2-8 every 24 months. The course must:
2-9 (1) be approved by the commission; and
2-10 (2) unless determined by the commission under
2-11 Subsection (a) to be inconsistent with the officer's duties,
2-12 include education and training in:
2-13 (A) civil rights, racial sensitivity, and
2-14 cultural diversity; and
2-15 (B) the recognition of cases that involve the
2-16 following:
2-17 (i) child abuse;
2-18 (ii) child neglect;
2-19 (iii) family violence; and
2-20 (iv) sexual assault.
2-21 (f) The commission may require a state, county, special
2-22 district, or municipal agency that appoints or employs a reserve
2-23 law enforcement officer, county jailer, or public security officer
2-24 to provide <each of those individuals with> education and training
2-25 in civil rights, racial sensitivity, and cultural diversity every
2-26 24 months for each officer or jailer whose duties are consistent
2-27 with that education and training.
3-1 SECTION 3. On the effective date of this Act, the term of
3-2 each appointed member of the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
3-3 Standards and Education expires. In making the initial
3-4 appointments of the successor members, the governor shall designate
3-5 three members, including one public member, for terms expiring on
3-6 August 30, 1997, three members, including one public member, for
3-7 terms expiring August 30, 1999, and three members, including one
3-8 public member, for terms expiring August 30, 2001.
3-9 SECTION 4. (a) The Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
3-10 Standards and Education shall prepare the initial list of
3-11 continuing education programs required by Section 2 of this Act not
3-12 later than January 1, 1996.
3-13 (b) The change in law made by Section 2 of this Act applies
3-14 to officers and jailers who participate in a continuing education
3-15 program required by Subchapter B, Chapter 415, Government Code, as
3-16 amended by this Act, on or after January 1, 1996.
3-17 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect August 30, 1995.
3-18 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
3-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.