BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 971

By: Clardy

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls to allow peace officers and reserve law enforcement officers who have served in the military to receive credit for skills they learned in the military, for purposes of earning proficiency certificates, without having to complete training that would be remedial in nature. H.B. 971 seeks to address this issue by requiring the adoption of rules under which military service would count as credit toward any training hours required for certain proficiency certificates.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 971 amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to adopt rules to allow a peace officer or reserve law enforcement officer who has served in the military to receive credit toward meeting any training hours required for an intermediate, advanced, or master proficiency certificate based on that military service. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.