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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of grant programs to provide |
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financial assistance to qualified sheriff's departments, district |
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attorney's offices, and county attorney's offices in rural |
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counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Sections 130.911 and 130.912 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 130.911. RURAL SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SALARY ASSISTANCE |
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GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by |
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the comptroller under the rural sheriff's department salary |
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assistance grant program established by this section. |
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(2) "Qualified county" means a county with a |
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population of 300,000 or less. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the |
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rural sheriff's department salary assistance grant program to |
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support the state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement |
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throughout the state by providing financial assistance to sheriff's |
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departments in qualified counties. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an |
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application for a grant to the comptroller. A county may submit only |
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one application each fiscal year. |
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(d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified |
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county that applies for the grant using money appropriated to the |
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comptroller for that purpose. The grant must be in the following |
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applicable amount: |
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(1) $250,000 if the county has a population of less |
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than 10,000; |
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(2) $350,000 if the county has a population of 10,000 |
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or more and less than 50,000; or |
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(3) $500,000 if the county has a population of 50,000 |
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or more and 300,000 or less. |
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(e) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money only: |
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(1) to provide a minimum annual salary of at least: |
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(A) $75,000 for the county sheriff; |
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(B) $45,000 for each deputy who makes motor |
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vehicle stops in the routine performance of their duties; and |
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(C) $40,000 for each deputy whose duties include |
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the safekeeping of prisoners and the security of a jail operated by |
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the county; |
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(2) to increase the salary of a person described by |
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Subdivision (1); |
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(3) to hire additional deputies or staff for the |
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sheriff's department; or |
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(4) to purchase equipment for the sheriff's |
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department. |
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(f) A county that is awarded a grant may not use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money for a purpose other than to meet the |
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minimum salary requirements prescribed by Subsection (e)(1) until |
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those requirements are satisfied. |
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(g) A county that is awarded a grant may not reduce the |
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sheriff's department budget for the county's fiscal year following |
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the fiscal year in which the comptroller awards the grant. |
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(h) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section, including rules that establish: |
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(1) a standardized application process, including the |
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form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for the grant; |
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(B) disbursement of grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; and |
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(3) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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a county for a purpose authorized by this section. |
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Sec. 130.912. RURAL DISTRICT AND COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE |
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SALARY ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by |
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the comptroller under the rural district and county attorney's |
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office salary assistance grant program established by this section. |
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(2) "Qualified county" means a county with a |
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population of 300,000 or less that has a district or county |
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attorney's office with criminal jurisdiction. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the |
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rural district and county attorney's office salary assistance grant |
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program to support the state purpose of ensuring professional legal |
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representation of the people's interests throughout the state by |
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providing financial assistance to district and county attorney's |
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offices in qualified counties. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an |
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application for a grant to the comptroller. A county may submit only |
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one application each fiscal year. |
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(d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified |
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county that applies for the grant using money appropriated to the |
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comptroller for that purpose. The grant must be in the following |
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applicable amount: |
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(1) $100,000 if the county has a population of less |
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than 10,000; |
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(2) $175,000 if the county has a population of 10,000 |
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or more and less than 50,000; or |
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(3) $275,000 if the county has a population of 50,000 |
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or more and 300,000 or less. |
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(e) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money only: |
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(1) to increase the salary of an assistant attorney or |
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investigator employed at a district or county attorney's office |
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described by Subsection (a)(2); or |
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(2) to hire additional staff for an office described |
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by that subsection. |
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(f) A county that is awarded a grant may not reduce the |
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budget of a district or county attorney's office described by |
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Subsection (a)(2) for the county's fiscal year following the fiscal |
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year in which the comptroller awards the grant. |
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(g) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section, including rules that establish: |
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(1) a standardized application process, including the |
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form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for the grant; |
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(B) disbursement of grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; and |
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(3) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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a county for a purpose authorized by this section. |
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SECTION 2. A qualified county, as defined by Section |
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130.911 or 130.912, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may |
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not apply for a rural sheriff's department salary assistance grant |
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or a rural district and county attorney's office salary assistance |
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grant before January 1, 2024. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2024, the comptroller |
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of public accounts shall comply with the requirements of Sections |
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130.911 and 130.912, Local Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |