HBA-MSH H.B. 1121 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1121 By: Turner, Bob Public Safety 7/18/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) is required to set minimum standards for a person to enroll in a training program for peace officers and county jailers. Prior to the 77th Legislature TCLEOSE required an applicant to be a high school graduate, have passed a general educational development test, or have 12 semester hours of credit from an accredited college or university. Requiring all applicants with a high school equivalency certificate to complete 12 semester hours from a college or university prior to enrolling in a peace officer training program will raise the educational level of the peace officer applicant pool. House Bill 1121 prohibits a person from enrolling in a peace officer training program unless the person has received a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate and has completed 12 hours of college or university credit with a specified grade point average, or has served in the armed forces for at least two years. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1121 amends the Occupations Code to prohibit a person from enrolling in a peace officer training program unless the person has received a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate and has completed at least 12 hours at an institution of higher education with at least a 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, or an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States after at least 24 months of active duty service. The bill prohibits the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education from adopting a rule or implementing a previously adopted rule before September 1, 2003 that requires a person who enrolls in a training program to have an associate's degree before or after enrollment in a training program to be eligible for a peace officer license. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.