BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2297

By: Holland

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There is a shortage of law enforcement personnel in Texas and insufficient financial compensation is one of the factors contributing to this shortage. There are a number of state agencies that commission licensed peace officers to execute their purpose. The Texas Commission of Law Enforcement (TCOLE) has the authority to commission peace officers as investigators with the limited authority in assisting TCOLE. However, TCOLE is not included in the list of agencies required to compensate peace officers through the approved salary schedule. This has resulted in a significant salary discrepancy between peace officers commissioned by TCOLE in comparison to those commissioned by other state agencies. H.B. 2297 seeks to ensure that peace officers commissioned through TCOLE are compensated in parity with other state-employed peace officers.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2297 amends the Government Code to entitle a commissioned law enforcement officer (LEO) of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to state hazardous duty pay. The bill includes a peace officer who is commissioned by TCOLE as an LEO or agent among the peace officers entitled to receive the special injury leave for qualifying peace officers, applicable only with respect to an injury that occurs on or after the bill's effective date.

H.B. 2297 amends the Occupations Code to require TCOLE to ensure that a peace officer commissioned as an investigator employed by TCOLE for the purpose of assisting TCOLE in administering state law governing LEOs is compensated according to Schedule C of the position classification salary scheduled prescribed by the General Appropriations Act.

H.B. 2297 requires the classification officer in the state auditor's office to classify the position of a commissioned peace officer employed by TCOLE as a Schedule C position under the position classification plan beginning with the 2024-2025 state fiscal biennium. These provisions expire September 1, 2025.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.