| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a law enforcement agency accreditation grant program. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 772.0077 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 772.0077. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ACCREDITATION GRANT |
|
|
PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "criminal justice division" means |
|
|
the criminal justice division established under Section 772.006. |
|
|
(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and |
|
|
administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a law |
|
|
enforcement agency in this state for purposes of: |
|
|
(1) obtaining or maintaining recognition through the |
|
|
Texas Police Chiefs Association Law Enforcement Best Practices |
|
|
Recognition Program; |
|
|
(2) becoming accredited or maintaining accreditation |
|
|
by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, |
|
|
Inc.; or |
|
|
(3) becoming accredited or maintaining accreditation |
|
|
by an association or organization designated by the criminal |
|
|
justice division under Subsection (g). |
|
|
(c) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not |
|
|
exceed $50,000. |
|
|
(d) The criminal justice division shall establish: |
|
|
(1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
|
|
(2) grant application procedures; |
|
|
(3) guidelines relating to grant amounts; |
|
|
(4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; and |
|
|
(5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant |
|
|
awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any |
|
|
conditions of a grant. |
|
|
(e) Not later than December 1 of each year, the criminal |
|
|
justice division shall submit to the Legislative Budget Board a |
|
|
report that provides the following information for the preceding |
|
|
state fiscal year: |
|
|
(1) the name of each law enforcement agency that |
|
|
applied for a grant under this section; and |
|
|
(2) the amount of money distributed to each law |
|
|
enforcement agency that received a grant under this section. |
|
|
(f) The criminal justice division may use any revenue |
|
|
available for purposes of this section. |
|
|
(g) The criminal justice division, with the assistance of |
|
|
the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, shall periodically review |
|
|
associations and organizations that establish standards of |
|
|
practice for law enforcement agencies and that offer accreditation |
|
|
to agencies that meet those standards. On a determination by the |
|
|
criminal justice division that accreditation of law enforcement |
|
|
agencies in this state by an association or organization would |
|
|
benefit public safety, the commission may designate the association |
|
|
or organization as an accrediting agency for purposes of Subsection |
|
|
(b)(3). |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |