| TO: | Honorable Joe Driver, Chair, House Committee on Law Enforcement |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1722 by Ogden (Relating to physical fitness standards for certain state law enforcement officers. ), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Government Code relating to physical fitness standards for certain state law enforcement officers.
The bill would amend Government Code, Chapter 614 which would require the state law enforcement agencies (the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Criminal Justice, the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and the Parks and Wildlife Department) to adopt physical fitness standards for Schedule C and some Schedule B employees out of appropriated funds. The bill states that the standards must directly relate to the officer's job duties.
Any violation of these standards would be a just cause to discharge the officer, transfer of the officer to a position that is not compensated according to Schedule C, or for employees of the Parks and Wildlife Department transfer to a position that does not require a commissioned peace officer. The bill would exempt a law enforcement officer from these standards based on facts and circumstances of the individual case, including an injury in the line of duty. The bill would require the state law enforcement agencies to adopt the standards not later than November 1, 2008. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2007. The Department of Public Safety and the Department of Criminal Justice anticipate that the bill would have no significant fiscal impact on state or local government. The Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission states that the provisions in the bill would cost their agency $70,000 in fiscal year 2008 and the Parks and Wildlife Department states it would cost their agency $72,000 in fiscal year 2008. This analysis assumes these costs can be absorbed within each agency’s current appropriations.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety, 458 Alcoholic Beverage Commission, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, ES, GG, LG
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