JWW H.B. 1881 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS PUBLIC SAFETY H.B. 1881 By: Oakley 4-16-97 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Currently, there are no law enforcement management training provisions for police chiefs. In order to provide a police chief with the law enforcement management skills needed as an administrator, new courses of initial training and continuing education must be developed. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1881 will require the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas to establish a program of initial training and continuing education for police chiefs. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Additional rulemaking authority will be given to the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas 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 as follows: (a) Will require the institute to develop a program of initial training and continuing education courses for police chiefs relating to law enforcement management issues. (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 the 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, Government Code. (g) "Police Chief" is defined as head of a police department. SECTION 2 (a) Effective Date: September 1, 1997. (b) The continuing education programs shall be established by January 1, 1998. (c) Section 96.641 (c), Education Code, as added by this act applies only to a police chief appointed or elected after January 1, 1999. SECTION 3 Emergency Clause. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Amendment #1 Adds Subsections (h) and (i) to Section 96.641, Education Code. Subsection (h) states that a municipal police chief must be licensed by the Commission on Law Enforcement Statndards and Education (TCLEOSE) as a police officer no later than one year after the day that person is appointed as the chief of police. TCLEOSE is directed to establish requirements regarding licensing, revocation, suspension, cancellation, or denial of a peace officer license for a police chief. Subsection (i) states that a police chief not in compliance with Section 96.641, Education Code, cannot continue to be the chief of police. Amendment #2 Subsection (1) removes the requirement that the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute consult with the Police Chief's Association in developing a police chief training program. In addition, it adds a provision stating that training curriculum must be approved by TCLEOSE. Subsection (2) adds ".034" after a reference to Section 415, Government Code.