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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to creation of a grant program for certain peace officers |
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who hold a master proficiency certificate. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 772.013 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 772.013. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN PEACE OFFICERS WITH |
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MASTER PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATE. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal |
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justice division established under Section 772.006. |
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(2) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of this |
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state or an agency of a political subdivision of this state |
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authorized by law to employ peace officers. |
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(3) "Peace officer" means a person elected, employed, |
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or appointed as a peace officer under Article 2A.001, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure, or other law. |
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(b) The criminal justice division shall establish a grant |
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program for the public purpose of fostering the professional |
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development of peace officers employed in this state. |
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(c) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a person |
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must: |
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(1) hold a master proficiency certificate issued by |
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the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement under Section 1701.402, |
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Occupations Code; |
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(2) be employed on a full-time basis as a peace officer |
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by a law enforcement agency; and |
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(3) meet any other eligibility criteria established by |
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the criminal justice division. |
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(d) Only the following persons may apply for a grant under |
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this section: |
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(1) a law enforcement agency on behalf of an employee |
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of the agency who meets the eligibility criteria for a grant under |
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this section; or |
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(2) a person who meets the eligibility criteria for a |
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grant under this section with the consent of the person's employing |
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law enforcement agency. |
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(e) The criminal justice division shall award a grant under |
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this section to a law enforcement agency. The law enforcement |
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agency shall use the money only to increase the compensation of the |
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employee who applied for the grant or for whom the agency applied |
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for the grant. |
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(f) The criminal justice division shall establish |
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procedures for: |
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(1) processing grant applications in addition to any |
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other application procedures prescribed by this section; |
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(2) evaluating grant applications; and |
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(3) monitoring the use of a grant awarded under the |
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program and ensuring compliance with any condition of a grant. |
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(g) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the |
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criminal justice division shall award grants under this section in |
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an amount equal to $6,500 for each award. The criminal justice |
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division may increase the amount of an award in a state fiscal year |
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after the state fiscal year in which the program was established to |
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an amount the value of which is equal to the value of the grant in |
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the previous fiscal year after adjustment for inflation, as |
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calculated by the criminal justice division. |
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(h) The criminal justice division may use any money |
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available for purposes of this section. |
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SECTION 2. The criminal justice division established under |
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Section 772.006, Government Code, may award a grant under Section |
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772.013, Government Code, as added by this Act, only with respect to |
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a master proficiency certificate issued under Section 1701.402, |
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Occupations Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |