BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 872

By: Raymond

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent reports indicate the number of new police academy graduates is low, raising concerns about the availability of persons qualified to act as peace officers. Interested parties assert that current reemployment procedures for qualified peace officers subject an officer to many requirements, often discouraging the officer from reentering the law enforcement field after a period of alternate employment. In an effort to ensure the availability of officers qualified to keep Texas communities secure, C.S.H.B. 872 seeks to encourage such officers to reenter law enforcement.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

C.S.H.B. 872 amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to reactivate a peace officer's license after a break in employment if the former license holder completed at least 10 years of full-time service as a peace officer in good standing before the break in employment, meets current licensing standards, successfully completes an online or in-person supplemental peace officer course of not more than 120 hours and other in-person training requirements of not more than 40 hours, passes a peace officer reactivation examination, files an application, and pays any required fees.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 872 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Section 1701.316, Occupations Code, is amended  by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: (c)  The commission shall reactivate a peace officer's license after a break in employment, without requiring the license holder to attend a basic or supplemental training course for peace officers, if the license holder: (1)  completed at least 10 years of service as a peace officer in good standing before the break in employment; (2)  meets current licensing standards; (3)  successfully completes continuing education requirements; and (4)  files an application and pays any required fees.	SECTION 1.  Section 1701.316, Occupations Code, is amended  by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: (c)  The commission shall reactivate a peace officer's license after a break in employment if the former license holder: (1)  completed at least 10 years of full-time service as a peace officer in good standing before the break in employment; (2)  meets current licensing standards; (3)  successfully completes: (A)  an online or in-person supplemental peace officer course of not more than 120 hours; and (B)  other in-person training requirements of not more than 40 hours; (4)  passes a peace officer reactivation examination; (5)  files an application; and (6)  pays any required fees.
SECTION 2.  Section 1701.316(c), Occupations Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a license for which an application for reactivation of the license is filed on or after the effective date of this Act.  A license for which an application for reactivation of the license is filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.