Bill Text: TX HB2953 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a grant program to provide salary increases to full-time peace officers employed by certain local governments with limited tax bases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-29 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2953 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2953-Introduced.html
86R7847 CJC-D | ||
By: Moody | H.B. No. 2953 |
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relating to a grant program to provide salary increases to | ||
full-time peace officers employed by certain local governments with | ||
limited tax bases. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 401, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 401.106 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 401.106. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PEACE OFFICER PAY IN AREA | ||
WITH LIMITED TAX BASE. (a) In this section, "qualifying local | ||
government" means a county or municipality in which: | ||
(1) the taxable value of property for ad valorem tax | ||
purposes is less than the amount established by rule under | ||
Subsection (b); and | ||
(2) the average starting salary on September 1, 2019, | ||
for a peace officer employed full-time by the county or | ||
municipality is less than $32,500 per year. | ||
(b) The governor by rule shall establish a grant program to | ||
award grants to qualifying local governments to enhance public | ||
safety in this state by ensuring that the starting salaries of all | ||
peace officers employed by a qualifying local government is at | ||
least $32,500 per year. The rules adopted under this subsection | ||
must: | ||
(1) provide the maximum taxable value of property that | ||
may be located in a county or municipality in order for the county | ||
or municipality to be considered a qualifying local government; and | ||
(2) prescribe the manner by which: | ||
(A) a qualifying local government applies for a | ||
grant; and | ||
(B) grants will be allocated to applicants if the | ||
amount of grants for which qualifying local governments have | ||
applied exceeds the amount of money available for the grants. | ||
(c) The governor shall award grants to qualifying local | ||
governments under this section from money appropriated to the | ||
governor for that purpose. The governor is not required to award a | ||
grant under this section during any period for which money is not | ||
appropriated for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 2. (a) The comptroller of public accounts, using | ||
existing resources, shall conduct a study to determine the amount | ||
of money needed to fully fund the grant program under Section | ||
401.106, Government Code, as added by this Act, for the two-year | ||
period beginning September 1, 2021. | ||
(b) Not later than January 1, 2021, the comptroller of | ||
public accounts shall submit a report on the study to the governor, | ||
the lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature. The | ||
legislature may consider the report when making appropriations to | ||
the governor for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, | ||
2021. | ||
(c) This section takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 3. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |