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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the employment of certain federal law enforcement |
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agents as school district security personnel and the authority of |
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the chief of school safety and security for the Texas Education |
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Agency to carry a weapon on public school grounds. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 37.081(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The board of trustees of any school district may employ |
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security personnel, enter into a memorandum of understanding with a |
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local law enforcement agency for the provision of school resource |
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officers, and commission peace officers to carry out this |
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subchapter. If a board of trustees authorizes a person employed as |
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security personnel to carry a weapon, the person must be a |
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commissioned peace officer or a current or former licensed federal |
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law enforcement agent who is authorized to carry a weapon while on |
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duty. The jurisdiction of a peace officer, a school resource |
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officer, or security personnel under this section shall be |
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determined by the board of trustees and may include all territory in |
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the boundaries of the school district and all property outside the |
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boundaries of the district that is owned, leased, or rented by or |
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otherwise under the control of the school district and the board of |
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trustees that employ the peace officer or security personnel or |
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that enter into a memorandum of understanding for the provision of a |
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school resource officer. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 37.089 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.089. CHIEF OF SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY. |
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Notwithstanding Section 46.03(a)(1), Penal Code, an individual |
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appointed by the governor as chief of school safety and security for |
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the agency may carry a weapon on the grounds of any school district |
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or open-enrollment charter school campus or facility in this state |
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if the individual is a commissioned peace officer or a current or |
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former licensed federal law enforcement agent who is authorized to |
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carry a weapon while on duty. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |