88R8134 JCG-D
 
  By: Goodwin H.B. No. 1840
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to establishing a panel to study the regulation of law
  enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter P to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER P. PANEL TO REVIEW LAW ENFORCEMENT REGULATION
         Sec. 1701.721.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "panel"
  means the panel established under Section 1701.722.
         Sec. 1701.722.  PANEL ESTABLISHED; COMPOSITION.  (a)  A
  panel to study the regulation of persons licensed under this
  chapter and the entities authorized by law to employ those persons
  is established.  The panel consists of the following 17 members:
               (1)  nine members who are knowledgeable on criminal
  justice matters, including law enforcement personnel,
  representatives of victims' rights groups, educators, judges, and
  local elected officials, appointed as follows:
                     (A)  three members appointed by the governor;
                     (B)  three members appointed by the lieutenant
  governor; and
                     (C)  three members appointed by the speaker of the
  house of representatives;
               (2)  three members who represent the public, one
  appointed by the governor, one appointed by the lieutenant
  governor, and one appointed by the speaker of the house of
  representatives;
               (3)  the chair of the Senate Committee on Criminal
  Justice;
               (4)  the chair of the House Committee on Homeland
  Security and Public Safety;
               (5)  the chair of the board of the Texas District and
  County Attorneys Association or the chair's designee; and
               (6)  as nonvoting members:
                     (A)  the executive director of the commission; and
                     (B)  the attorney general or the attorney
  general's designee.
         (b)  In appointing members of the panel under Subsection
  (a)(1), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house
  of representatives shall each appoint: 
               (1)  one representative of a rural county or a small
  municipality; and
               (2)  one representative of a law enforcement agency.
         (c)  The governor shall designate a chair and vice chair of
  the panel. The panel shall meet at the call of the chair.
         Sec. 1701.723.  ADVISORY COMMITTEES. The panel may
  establish one or more advisory committees to assist the panel in its
  duties under this subchapter. Advisory committee members may
  include any person with knowledge or experience relevant to the
  study conducted under Section 1701.729.
         Sec. 1701.724.  OPEN MEETINGS; PUBLIC HEARINGS. (a) The
  panel, and any advisory committee established by the panel, is
  subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.
         (b)  Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any
  other law, the panel and any advisory committee may meet by
  telephone conference call, videoconference, or other similar
  telecommunication method. A meeting held under this subsection by
  telephone conference call, videoconference, or other similar
  telecommunication method is subject to the requirements of Sections
  551.125(c)-(f), Government Code.
         (c)  The panel shall hold a public hearing at least once
  every month to solicit testimony and provide information to the
  public regarding the work of the panel.
         Sec. 1701.725.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS.
  Preliminary drafts of the final report and legislative
  recommendations, memoranda of panel members expressing opinions,
  formulations, or recommendations, and panel members' notes and
  correspondence with individuals who are not panel members are
  confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552,
  Government Code.
         Sec. 1701.726.  SUBPOENA. (a) The panel may issue a
  subpoena as provided by this section.
         (b)  The panel may request and, if necessary, compel by
  subpoena:
               (1)  the production for inspection and copying of
  documents and other records relevant to the panel's duties under
  this subchapter; and
               (2)  the attendance of a witness for examination under
  oath.
         (c)  A subpoena under this section may be issued throughout
  this state and may be served by any person designated by the panel.
         (d)  The panel, acting through the attorney general, may
  bring an action to enforce a subpoena issued under this section
  against a person who fails to comply with the subpoena.
         (e)  Venue for an action brought under this section is in a
  district court in:
               (1)  Travis County; or
               (2)  any county in which the commission may conduct a
  hearing.
         (f)  The court shall order compliance with the subpoena if
  the court finds that good cause exists to issue the subpoena.
         Sec. 1701.727.  REIMBURSEMENT. A member of the panel or an
  advisory committee of the panel is not entitled to compensation for
  service on the panel or on an advisory committee of the panel but
  may be reimbursed for travel and other reasonable and necessary
  expenses incurred in connection with the member's service on the
  panel or advisory committee as provided by the General
  Appropriations Act.
         Sec. 1701.728.  ASSISTANCE BY COMMISSION. The commission
  shall provide facilities and administrative support as reasonably
  necessary for the panel to carry out its duties.
         Sec. 1701.729.  STUDY. The panel shall study and make
  recommendations regarding the regulation of persons licensed under
  this chapter and entities authorized by law to employ those
  persons. In conducting the study, the panel shall consider the
  following:
               (1)  the standards of conduct applicable to persons
  licensed under this chapter, including whether statewide standards
  should be developed and who should develop, review, and update
  those standards;
               (2)  the education and training requirements for
  persons licensed under this chapter, including:
                     (A)  the requirements for the issuance of each
  type of license and the frequency with which those requirements are
  reviewed and updated; and
                     (B)  the continuing education requirements for
  each type of license and the frequency with which those
  requirements are reviewed and updated;
               (3)  the commission's regulation of training programs
  and schools; and
               (4)  the accountability to the public of persons
  licensed under this chapter and of entities authorized by law to
  employ persons licensed under this chapter, including:
                     (A)  the need for statewide standards applicable
  to the entities and who should develop, review, and update those
  standards;
                     (B)  changes to the commission's authority to
  discipline a license holder for violations of law or other
  misconduct;
                     (C)  appropriate procedures to protect a license
  holder's rights during a disciplinary proceeding;
                     (D)  the reporting of terminations under
  Subchapter J; and
                     (E)  the circumstances under which the commission
  may require a license holder to submit to an examination described
  by Section 1701.306.
         Sec. 1701.730.  REPORT; CERTAIN VOTES REQUIRED. (a) Not
  later than June 1, 2024, the panel shall deliver a report to the
  governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
  representatives, each member of the legislature, and the Sunset
  Advisory Commission on the areas of study described by Section
  1701.729, including any legislative recommendations adopted by the
  panel.
         (b)  A legislative recommendation may be adopted by a
  majority vote of a quorum of the panel.
         (c)  The report under this section may be issued only if the
  report is adopted by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of
  the panel.
         Sec. 1701.731.  EXPIRATION. The panel is abolished and this
  subchapter expires December 31, 2024.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than September 1, 2023, the governor,
  lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
  shall appoint members to the panel in accordance with Section
  1701.722, Occupations Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.