BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 12
85R6279 ADM-D	By: West
	Criminal Justice
	2/28/2017
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 12 as filed creates a grant program that will equip members of law enforcement statewide with protective vests. The grant program will be administered through the Office of the Governor similar to the process created for S.B. 158 (84R), the body camera bill.

All law enforcement agencies will be eligible to apply for grants to outfit officers assigned to patrol duties or who respond to calls for assistance with protective vests.

S.B. 12 has the support of the lieutentant governor.

Under S.B. 12, an agency that receives grant funding will be required to report to the governor's office the number of vests purchased and the cost of each vest. Currently, local governing bodies or local law enforcement agencies have the responsibility of securing funding for the purchase of protective vests. Federal and private grants are also used to assist in the purchase of protective vests.

S.B. 12 may use any available funding for the purchase of protective vests, including federal funding and donations.

S.B. 12 will be amended to require law enforcement agencies to have in place a policy on the deployment and use of protective vests to be eligible to receive grant funding.

As proposed, S.B. 12 amends current law relating to the creation of a grant program to assist law enforcement agencies with the purchase of bulletproof vests.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, by adding Section 772.0073, as follows:

Sec. 772.0073. BULLETPROOF VEST GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Defines "criminal justice division."

(b) Requires the criminal justice division to establish and administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a law enforcement agency seeking to equip its peace officers with bulletproof vests. Authorizes any law enforcement agency in Texas to apply for a grant.

(c) Requires an agency receiving a grant, as soon as practicable after receiving the grant, to provide to the criminal justice division proof of purchase of bulletproof vests, including the price of each vest and the number of vests purchased.

(d) Requires, not later than December 1 of each year, the criminal justice division to submit a report to the Legislative Budget Board reporting the following information for the preceding state fiscal year:

(1) the name of each agency that applied for a grant;

(2) the amount of money distributed to each agency that received a grant; and

(3) the number of vests purchased by each agency.

(e) Authorizes the criminal justice division to use any revenue available for purposes of this section. �

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.