1-1 By: Oakley (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister) H.B. No. 1953
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 15, 1995;
1-3 May 17, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal
1-4 Justice; May 23, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 23, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute
1-9 of Texas and its governance and programs for police chiefs.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 96, Education Code, is
1-12 amended by adding Section 96.641 to read as follows:
1-13 Sec. 96.641. INITIAL TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR
1-14 POLICE CHIEFS. (a) The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management
1-15 Institute of Texas shall establish and offer a program of initial
1-16 training and a program of continuing education for police chiefs.
1-17 The curriculum for each program must relate to law enforcement
1-18 management issues. The institute shall develop the curriculum for
1-19 the programs. The curriculum must be approved by the Commission on
1-20 Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.
1-21 (b) Each police chief must receive at least 40 hours of
1-22 continuing education provided by the institute under this section
1-23 each 24-month period.
1-24 (c) An individual appointed or elected to that individual's
1-25 first position as chief must receive not less than 80 hours of
1-26 initial training for new chiefs under this section.
1-27 (d) A newly appointed or elected police chief shall complete
1-28 the initial training program for new chiefs not later than the
1-29 second anniversary of that individual's appointment or election as
1-30 chief. The initial training program for new chiefs is in addition
1-31 to the initial training and continuing education required by
1-32 Chapter 415, Government Code. On satisfactory completion of the
1-33 initial training program for new chiefs, the next 24-month period
1-34 under Subsection (b) begins for an individual on the first
1-35 anniversary of the date the individual completed the initial
1-36 training program.
1-37 (e) The institute by rule may provide a waiver of:
1-38 (1) the requirement of all or part of the 80 hours of
1-39 initial training for new chiefs to the extent the individual has
1-40 satisfactorily completed equivalent training in the 24 months
1-41 preceding the individual's appointment or election; or
1-42 (2) the continuing education requirements of
1-43 Subsection (b) if the individual has satisfactorily completed
1-44 equivalent continuing education in the preceding 24 months.
1-45 (f) An individual who is subject to the continuing education
1-46 requirements of Subsection (b) is exempt from other continuing
1-47 education requirements under Section 415.034, Government Code.
1-48 (g) In this section, "police chief" or "chief" means the
1-49 head of a police department.
1-50 SECTION 2. Sections 96.64(b), (c), and (h), Education Code,
1-51 are amended to read as follows:
1-52 (b) The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute
1-53 of Texas is created for the training of police management
1-54 personnel. The headquarters of the institute are at Sam Houston
1-55 State University. The institute is under the supervision and
1-56 direction of the president of Sam Houston State University <and
1-57 shall be operated and managed as a joint program between Sam
1-58 Houston State University, Texas A&M University, and Texas Woman's
1-59 University>.
1-60 (c) The institute's advisory board is composed of seven
1-61 <nine> members appointed as follows:
1-62 (1) one by the governor, who must be a licensed peace
1-63 officer with supervisory experience;
1-64 (2) one by the lieutenant governor, who must be a
1-65 licensed peace officer with supervisory experience;
1-66 (3) one by the speaker of the house of
1-67 representatives, who must be a licensed peace officer with
1-68 supervisory experience;
2-1 (4) one by the president of Sam Houston State
2-2 University; and
2-3 (5) <one by the president of Texas A&M University;>
2-4 <(6) one by the president of Texas Woman's University;
2-5 and>
2-6 <(7)> three by the Commission on Law Enforcement
2-7 Officer Standards and Education, two of whom must be licensed,
2-8 nonsupervisory peace officers.
2-9 (h) The board shall elect a chairman, a vice-chairman, and a
2-10 secretary from the appointed members at its first meeting after new
2-11 appointments to fill regular terms. The board shall meet at least
2-12 once in each calendar quarter and may meet at other times as
2-13 necessary to perform the duties of the board. Four <Five> of the
2-14 appointed members constitute a quorum.
2-15 SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
2-16 (b) The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute
2-17 of Texas shall establish the initial training and continuing
2-18 education programs required by Section 96.641, Education Code, as
2-19 added by this Act, not later than January 1, 1996.
2-20 (c) Section 96.641(c), Education Code, as added by this Act,
2-21 requiring not less than 80 hours of initial training for newly
2-22 appointed police chiefs, applies only to an individual appointed or
2-23 elected as police chief on or after January 1, 1997.
2-24 (d) The positions of the members of the advisory board of
2-25 the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas
2-26 that are filled by appointment by the presidents of Texas A&M
2-27 University and Texas Woman's University are abolished on September
2-28 1, 1995.
2-29 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-30 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-31 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-32 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-33 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-34 * * * * *