1-1     By:  Oakley (Senate Sponsor - Madla)                  H.B. No. 1881

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997;

 1-3     May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by

 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to

 1-6     printer.)

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to initial training and continuing education for police

1-10     chiefs.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 96, Education Code, is

1-13     amended by adding Section 96.641 to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 96.641.  INITIAL TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR

1-15     POLICE CHIEFS.  (a)  The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management

1-16     Institute of Texas shall establish and offer a program of initial

1-17     training and a program of continuing education for police chiefs.

1-18     The curriculum for each program must relate to law enforcement

1-19     management issues.  The institute shall develop the curriculum for

1-20     the programs.  The curriculum must be approved by the Commission on

1-21     Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.

1-22           (b)  Each police chief must receive at least 40 hours of

1-23     continuing education provided by the institute under this section

1-24     each 24-month period.

1-25           (c)  An individual appointed or elected to that individual's

1-26     first position as chief must receive not fewer than 80 hours of

1-27     initial training for new chiefs in accordance with Subsections (d)

1-28     and (e).

1-29           (d)  A newly appointed or elected police chief shall complete

1-30     the initial training program for new chiefs not later than the

1-31     second anniversary of that individual's appointment or election as

1-32     chief.  The initial training program for new chiefs is in addition

1-33     to the initial training and continuing education required by

1-34     Chapter 415, Government Code.  The first 24-month period begins

1-35     under Subsection (b) for an individual who completes the initial

1-36     training program for new chiefs on the first anniversary of the

1-37     date the individual completed the initial training program.

1-38           (e)  The institute by rule may provide for the waiver of:

1-39                 (1)  the requirement of all or part of the 80 hours of

1-40     initial training for new chiefs to the extent the new chief has

1-41     satisfactorily completed equivalent  training in the 24 months

1-42     preceding the individual's appointment or election; or

1-43                 (2)  the continuing education requirements of

1-44     Subsection (b) for an individual who has satisfactorily completed

1-45     equivalent continuing education in the preceding 24 months.

1-46           (f)  An individual who is subject to the continuing education

1-47     requirements of Subsection (b) is exempt from other continuing

1-48     education requirements under Section 415.034, Government Code.

1-49           (g)  In  this section, "police chief" or "chief" means the

1-50     head of a police department.

1-51           (h)  The chief of a municipal police department must be

1-52     licensed as a peace officer by the commission no later than one

1-53     year after the date that the chief is appointed to the position of

1-54     police chief.  The commission shall establish requirements for

1-55     licensing and for revocation, suspension, cancellation, or denial

1-56     of peace officer license for a police chief.

1-57           (i)  A police chief who does not comply with this section

1-58     cannot continue to be the chief.

1-59           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-60           (b)  The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute

1-61     of Texas shall establish the initial training and continuing

1-62     education programs required by Section 96.641, Education Code, as

1-63     added by this Act, not later than January 1,  1998.

1-64           (c)  Section 96.641(c), Education Code, as added by this Act,

 2-1     requiring not fewer than 80 hours of initial training for newly

 2-2     appointed or elected police chiefs applies only to an individual

 2-3     newly appointed or elected as police chief on or after January 1,

 2-4     1999.

 2-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

2-10                                  * * * * *