BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 12

By: West

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised that local law enforcement agencies have suffered preventable losses of life in the line of duty due to a lack of sufficient resources to acquire bulletproof vests and other body armor that can withstand rounds from high-caliber firearms. S.B. 12 seeks to address these concerns by providing for the establishment of a grant program to provide law enforcement agencies with the necessary resources to equip their officers with bulletproof vests, ballistic plates, and plate carriers.

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

S.B. 12 amends the Government Code to require the criminal justice division in the governor's office to establish and administer a bulletproof vest and body armor grant program to provide financial assistance to a law enforcement agency in Texas that seeks to equip its peace officers with bulletproof vests, ballistic plates, and plate carriers. The bill requires a vest or plate purchased with a grant received under the program to comply with a National Institute of Justice standard for rifle protection and limits the law enforcement agencies that may apply for a grant to agencies that have first adopted a policy addressing the deployment and allocation of vests or plates to its officers and the usage of vests or plates by its officers. The bill requires a law enforcement agency receiving a grant, as soon as practicable after receiving the grant, to provide to the division proof of purchase of bulletproof vests, ballistic plates, and plate carriers, including the price of each item and the number of each type of item purchased. The bill requires the division to submit to the Legislative Budget Board not later than December 1 of each year a report that provides for the preceding state fiscal year the name of each law enforcement agency that applied for a grant; the amount of money distributed to each law enforcement agency that received a grant; and the number of vests, plates, and carriers purchased by each such agency that received a grant as reported by the agency. The bill authorizes the division to use any revenue available for purposes of the grant program.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.