| TO: | Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1722 by Ogden (Relating to physical fitness and appearance standards for certain state law enforcement officers. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Government Code relating to physical fitness and appearance 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 and appearance standards for Schedule C employees out of appropriated funds. The bill states any standards adopted by a law enforcement agency other than the Department of Public Safety (DPS) must be at least as stringent as DPS. Any violation of these standards would be a just cause to discharge the officer or transfer the officer to a position that is not compensated according to Schedule C. 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, 2007. The bill would take effect on September 1, 2007.
The Department of Public Safety, the Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission, and the Parks and Wildlife Department anticipate that the bill would have no significant fiscal impact on state or local government.
| 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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