LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 26, 2005

TO:	Honorable Joe Driver, Chair, House Committee on Law Enforcement
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2524 by Coleman (Relating to the provision of education and training programs for law enforcement officers regarding persons with mental impairments.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Education Code and Occupations Code as it relates to the provision of education and training programs for law enforcement officers regarding persons with mental impairments. 

 

The bill, titled the Bob Meadours Act, would amend the Education Code to require the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas to establish a program for police chiefs, as part of their initial training and continuing education, on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairments. The bill would also amend the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) to require an officer to complete a statewide education and training program on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairments. Officers would be required to complete the program not later than the second anniversary of the date the officer is licensed or when the officer applies for an intermediate proficiency certificate or advanced proficiency certificate. Neither officers nor police chiefs would be allowed to satisfy this requirement by taking an on-line course on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques.

 

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas would be required to establish a program on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairments no later than January 1, 2006. The bill would require a police chief (appointed or elected before the effective date of the act), officers with an intermediate proficiency certificate or advanced proficiency certificate, or those who have held a TCLEOSE peace officer license for more than two years, to complete a program on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairments no later than January 1, 2009.  

 

The bill would take effect September 1, 2005.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

407 Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education

LBB Staff:

JOB, KJG, VDS, SJ, LM