1-1  By:  Stiles (Senate Sponsor - West)                   H.B. No. 1650
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 15, 1995;
    1-3  May 16, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
    1-4  Justice; May 22, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:
    1-5  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 22, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the qualifications of sheriffs.
    1-9        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-10        SECTION 1.  Section 85.0011, Local Government Code, is
   1-11  amended to read as follows:
   1-12        Sec. 85.0011.  QUALIFICATIONS.  (a)  A person is not eligible
   1-13  to serve as sheriff unless the person:
   1-14              (1)  has a high school diploma or a high school
   1-15  equivalency certificate; <and>
   1-16              (2)  is eligible to be licensed under Section 415.058
   1-17  and 415.059, Government Code; and
   1-18              (3)  has completed the training required for licensing
   1-19  as a peace officer under Chapter 415, Government Code.
   1-20        (b)  Subsection (a)(3) does not apply to the eligibility
   1-21  requirements to serve as the sheriff of a county with a population
   1-22  of less than 30,000.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  The change in law made by Section 1 of this Act
   1-24  applies only to a person first elected or appointed to the office
   1-25  of sheriff on or after the effective date of this Act.  A person
   1-26  elected or appointed to the office of sheriff before the effective
   1-27  date of this Act is covered, for the remainder of the term for
   1-28  which the person was elected or appointed, or for any subsequent
   1-29  term for which the person serves as sheriff, by the law relating to
   1-30  qualifications and continuing education in effect when the person
   1-31  was first elected or appointed, and the former law is continued in
   1-32  effect for that purpose.
   1-33        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-34  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-35  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-36  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-37  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
   1-38                               * * * * *