HBA-MSH C.S.H.B. 1121 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1121
By: Turner, Bob
Public Safety
4/25/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Education (commission) is required to set minimum standards
for a person to enroll in a training program for peace officers and county
jailers.  The commission currently requires an applicant to be a high
school graduate, have passed a general educational development test, or
have 12 semester hours 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.  C.S.H.B. 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

C.S.H.B. 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. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1121 differs from the original by authorizing a person who has
received an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States
after at least 24 months of active duty service to enroll in a peace
officer training program.