BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.J.R. 32
86R3301 JTS-F	By: Birdwell; Nelson
	Criminal Justice
	2/22/2019
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, under Section 263.152, Local Government Code, a county K-9 used for law enforcement purposes is treated as salvage or surplus property by the county. The code states that the county can only auction, donate, or destroy surplus or salvage property. Due to the fact that most county-owned K-9s are trained to work with their handler, the options laid out by statute make it difficult to retire the dog when their handler leaves or retires.

S.J.R. 32 would amend the constitution to allow the county law enforcement's dog to be transferred to the dog's handler at the time of the dog's retirement.

S.J.R. 32 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the transfer of a dog used for county law enforcement purposes to the dog's handler on the dog's retirement.

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 Article III, Texas Constitution, by adding Section 521, as follows:

Sec. 521. Authorizes a county, on the retirement of a dog owned and used by the county for law enforcement purposes, to transfer ownership of the dog to the dog's handler at no cost to the handler.

SECTION 2. Requires that the proposed constitutional amendment be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019. Sets forth the required language of the ballot. �