BILL ANALYSIS
By: Olivo
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
School districts are increasingly using school district police officers, and in many cases these officers have not received training concerning the unique enforcement challenges presented by a school environment. Many of these peace officers have expressed a need to better understand their responsibilities in executing their enforcement duties, specifically including how to best handle problems that arise in situations involving confinement, restraint, or seclusion of students.
This bill would require that training be made available to these officers that is geared toward the specific responsibilities and challenges they face in the school environment, that would provide better understanding of their responsibilities under the Texas Education Code, and that would help ensure that they are knowledgeable of the statutory requirements applicable to school administrators and teachers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
This bill amends the heading to Subchapter M, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, to read Visiting Resource Officers in Public Schools and School District Peace Officers.
This bill directs the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (commission) by rule to require a law enforcement agency of a political subdivision that employs a school resource officer or a school district that employs a school district peace officer under Section 37.081, Education Code, to make available to the officer a training program that includes a curriculum that incorporates learning objectives developed by the commission regarding discipline management practices or behavior management practices that are consistent with Education Code Section 37.0021 and the procedures adopted under that section.
This bill provides that the commission shall develop the curriculum for this training program not later than January 1, 2008.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The original bill included a provision that a school resource officer or school district peace officer is not required to comply with the training requirements of Section 1701.604, Occupations Code, as added by this Act, before September 1, 2008. The substitute does not include this provision.