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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 provide salary increases to |
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full-time peace officers employed by certain local governments with |
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limited tax bases. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 401, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 401.106 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 401.106. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PEACE OFFICER PAY IN AREA |
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WITH LIMITED TAX BASE. (a) In this section, "qualifying local |
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government" means a county or municipality in which: |
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(1) the taxable value of property for ad valorem tax |
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purposes is less than the amount established by rule under |
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Subsection (b); and |
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(2) the average starting salary on September 1, 2019, |
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for a peace officer employed full-time by the county or |
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municipality is less than $32,500 per year. |
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(b) The governor by rule shall establish a grant program to |
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award grants to qualifying local governments to enhance public |
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safety in this state by ensuring that the starting salaries of all |
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peace officers employed by a qualifying local government is at |
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least $32,500 per year. The rules adopted under this subsection |
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must: |
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(1) provide the maximum taxable value of property that |
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may be located in a county or municipality in order for the county |
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or municipality to be considered a qualifying local government; and |
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(2) prescribe the manner by which: |
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(A) a qualifying local government applies for a |
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grant; and |
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(B) grants will be allocated to applicants if the |
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amount of grants for which qualifying local governments have |
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applied exceeds the amount of money available for the grants. |
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(c) The governor shall award grants to qualifying local |
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governments under this section from money appropriated to the |
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governor for that purpose. The governor is not required to award a |
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grant under this section during any period for which money is not |
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appropriated for that purpose. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The comptroller of public accounts, using |
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existing resources, shall conduct a study to determine the amount |
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of money needed to fully fund the grant program under Section |
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401.106, Government Code, as added by this Act, for the two-year |
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period beginning September 1, 2021. |
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(b) Not later than January 1, 2021, the comptroller of |
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public accounts shall submit a report on the study to the governor, |
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the lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature. The |
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legislature may consider the report when making appropriations to |
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the governor for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, |
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2021. |
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(c) This section takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |