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 * * * * *