BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3033

By: Craddick

Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) plays a critical role in ensuring public safety in Texas and that while various nonprofit organizations support DPS employees and operations through different initiatives, there is currently no formal or state-administered program to provide funding for these nonprofits that support DPS and its employees. C.S.H.B. 3033 seeks to address this issue by establishing a grant program to provide financial support to eligible nonprofit organizations that aid DPS employees and the families of DPS employees who have been killed or injured in the line of duty.

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

C.S.H.B. 3033 amends the Government Code to require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish and administer a grant program for and disburse funds to nonprofit organizations that provide support to DPS employees, including support for family members of DPS employees who have been killed or injured in the line of duty. The bill restricts the use of grant funds to the following:

· providing assistance and support to DPS employees;

· providing assistance and support to family members of DPS employees who have been killed or injured in the line of duty; and

· memorial signs for DPS employees who have been killed in the line of duty.

The bill subjects those grant funds to audit by the comptroller of public accounts and requires DPS to establish grant application procedures, guidelines relating to grant amounts, and criteria for evaluating grant applications. The bill creates the nonprofit organizations supporting employees of DPS account as a dedicated account in the general revenue fund of the state treasury and restricts the appropriation of money in that account to DPS for purposes of the grant program established under these provisions.

C.S.H.B. 3033 amends the Transportation Code to authorize a person applying for an original or renewal driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate to contribute $3 or more to the grant program for nonprofit organizations supporting DPS employees established under the bill's provisions. The bill requires DPS to do the following:

· include space on the first page of each application for an original or renewal driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate that allows an applicant to indicate the amount that the applicant is voluntarily contributing to the grant program; and

· provide an opportunity for the applicant to contribute to the grant program during the application process for such an original or renewal license or certificate on DPS's website.

The bill requires DPS to send any contribution made under these provisions to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the nonprofit organizations supporting employees of DPS account not later than the 14th day of each month and authorizes DPS, before sending the money to the comptroller, to deduct money equal to the amount of reasonable expenses for administering these provisions.

C.S.H.B. 3033 applies only to a person who applies for an original or renewal driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate on or after January 1, 2026.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3033 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the introduced required DPS to establish and administer a grant program for and disburse funds to nonprofit organizations that provide support to DPS, including support for DPS employees, the substitute requires DPS to establish and administer a grant program for and disburse funds to nonprofit organizations that provide support to DPS employees, including support for family members of DPS employees who have been killed or injured in the line of duty, and makes conforming changes to reflect those differences. Accordingly, whereas the introduced restricted the use of grant funds to providing support to DPS, the substitute restricts the use of grant funds to the following:

· providing assistance and support to DPS employees;

· providing assistance and support to family members of DPS employees who have been killed or injured in the line of duty; and

· memorial signs for DPS employees who have been killed in the line of duty.

Finally, the substitute changes the name of the account created by the bill from the nonprofit organizations supporting DPS account, as in the introduced, to the nonprofit organizations supporting employees of DPS account.