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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a grant program to support the provision of critical |
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incident stress debriefing to certain peace officers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 772.0074 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 772.0074. CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS DEBRIEFING GRANT |
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PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal |
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justice division established under Section 772.006. |
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(2) "Critical incident" means an incident involving a |
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peace officer that occurs while the officer is performing official |
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duties and that results in serious bodily injury to the officer or |
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poses a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death to the |
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officer or of serious harm to the officer's mental health or |
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well-being. |
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(3) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the |
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state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state that is |
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authorized by law to employ peace officers. |
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(4) "Peace officer" has the meaning assigned by |
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Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and |
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administer a grant program to assist law enforcement agencies in |
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providing critical incident stress debriefing to peace officers who |
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experience critical incidents while performing official duties. |
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(c) The criminal justice division may award a grant under |
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this section to: |
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(1) a law enforcement agency for the agency to provide |
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critical incident stress debriefing to peace officers employed by |
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the agency; or |
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(2) any other agency or organization to assist the |
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agency or organization in providing support for the grant program, |
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including support related to the development, implementation, |
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management, or evaluation of the grant program, as determined |
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necessary by the division. |
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(d) A law enforcement agency that receives a grant under |
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this section must: |
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(1) inform each peace officer employed by the agency |
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about: |
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(A) the program, including opportunities to |
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participate in the program; and |
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(B) if the officer participates in the program, |
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the confidentiality protections described by Subsection (e); and |
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(2) certify in writing that the agency will not use |
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disciplinary action or any other form of punishment, including the |
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refusal of a promotion, to discourage or prohibit an officer's |
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participation in the critical incident stress debriefing offered by |
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the agency. |
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(e) Critical incident stress debriefing provided using |
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money distributed under the grant program is subject to the |
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confidentiality protections provided under Section 784.003, Health |
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and Safety Code. |
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(f) The criminal justice division shall establish: |
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(1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
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(2) grant application procedures; |
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(3) procedures for evaluating grant applications; |
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(4) the minimum qualifications necessary for a person |
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to conduct critical incident stress debriefing that is provided |
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using money distributed under the grant program; and |
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(5) guidance for the development of critical incident |
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stress debriefing curricula, materials, and best practices. |
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(g) The criminal justice division shall include in the |
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biennial report required by Section 772.006(a)(9) a detailed |
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reporting of the results and performance of the grant program |
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administered under this section. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2017, the criminal |
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justice division of the governor's office shall establish the grant |
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program required by Section 772.0074, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, and, not later than January 1, 2018, shall begin to award |
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grants under the program. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |