BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2799

By: Driver

Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under present law and rules, an initial peace officer license is issued to a qualified person only upon first appointment by a law enforcement agency. The officer, once appointed, is obligated to report any arrest, address change, name change, or future military discharge. 

H.B. 2799 subjects a qualified, non-appointed peace officer candidate to these same reporting requirements after the peace officer candidate has submitted an application, completed training, passed the required exam, passed drug, medical, and psychological screening, and demonstrated weapons proficiency. The bill provides that the reporting of any disqualifying events to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education after the person meets the requirements but before appointment may lead to that peace officer candidate being declared ineligible for appointment.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2799 amends the Occupations Code to specify that a person who meets the law enforcement officer license requirements under state law has the same reporting responsibilities toward the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education under rules adopted by the commission as a license holder who has already been appointed as a peace officer.

H.B. 2799 authorizes the commission to determine that a person who meets the law enforcement officer license requirements is ineligible for appointment as a peace officer based on events that occur after the person meets those license requirements but before the person is appointed.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.