Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
            S.B. No. 22
         
               AN ACT
            
            relating to the establishment of grant programs to provide 
         
            financial assistance to qualified sheriff's offices, constable's 
         
            offices, and prosecutor's offices in rural counties.
         
                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
                   SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government 
         
            Code, is amended by adding Sections 130.911, 130.912, and 130.913 
         
            to read as follows:
         
                   Sec. 130.911.  RURAL SHERIFF'S OFFICE SALARY ASSISTANCE 
         
            GRANT PROGRAM.  (a)  In this section:
         
                         (1)  "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by 
         
            the comptroller under the rural sheriff's office salary assistance 
         
            grant program established by this section.
         
                         (2)  "Qualified county" means a county with a 
         
            population of 300,000 or less.
         
                   (b)  The comptroller shall establish and administer the 
         
            rural sheriff's office salary assistance grant program to support 
         
            the state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement 
         
            throughout the state by providing financial assistance to sheriff's 
         
            offices in qualified counties.
         
                   (c)  Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a 
         
            qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an 
         
            application for a grant to the comptroller.  A county may submit 
         
            only one application each fiscal year.
         
                   (d)  The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified 
         
            county that applies for the grant using money appropriated to the 
         
            comptroller for that purpose.  The grant must be in the following 
         
            applicable amount:
         
                         (1)  $250,000 if the county has a population of less 
         
            than 10,000;
         
                         (2)  $350,000 if the county has a population of 10,000 
         
            or more and less than 50,000; or
         
                         (3)  $500,000 if the county has a population of 50,000 
         
            or more and 300,000 or less.
         
                   (e)  A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize 
         
            the use of the grant money only:
         
                         (1)  to provide a minimum annual salary of at least:
         
                               (A)  $75,000 for the county sheriff;
         
                               (B)  $45,000 for each deputy who makes motor 
         
            vehicle stops in the routine performance of their duties; and
         
                               (C)  $40,000 for each jailer whose duties include 
         
            the safekeeping of prisoners and the security of a jail operated by 
         
            the county;
         
                         (2)  to increase the salary of a person described by 
         
            Subdivision (1);
         
                         (3)  to hire additional deputies or staff for the 
         
            sheriff's office; or
         
                         (4)  to purchase vehicles, firearms, and safety 
         
            equipment for the sheriff's office.
         
                   (f)  A county that is awarded a grant may not use or authorize 
         
            the use of the grant money for a purpose other than to meet the 
         
            minimum salary requirements prescribed by Subsection (e)(1) until 
         
            those requirements are satisfied.
         
                   (g)  A county may not reduce the amount of funds provided to 
         
            the sheriff's office because of grant funds provided under this 
         
            section.
         
                   (h)  The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to 
         
            implement this section, including rules that establish:
         
                         (1)  a standardized application process, including the 
         
            form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the 
         
            form;
         
                         (2)  deadlines for:
         
                               (A)  applying for the grant;
         
                               (B)  disbursement of grant money; and
         
                               (C)  spending grant money; and
         
                         (3)  procedures for:
         
                               (A)  monitoring the disbursement of grant money to 
         
            ensure compliance with this section; and
         
                               (B)  the return of grant money that was not used by 
         
            a county for a purpose authorized by this 
Statutes affected: 
Introduced:  ()
Senate Committee Report:  ()
Engrossed:  ()
House Committee Report:  ()
Enrolled:  ()




	AN ACT
	relating to the establishment of grant programs to provide
	financial assistance to qualified sheriff's offices, constable's
	offices, and prosecutor's offices in rural counties.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government
	Code, is amended by adding Sections 130.911, 130.912, and 130.913
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 130.911. RURAL SHERIFF'S OFFICE SALARY ASSISTANCE
	GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
	(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by
	the comptroller under the rural sheriff's office salary assistance
	grant program established by this section.
	(2) "Qualified county" means a county with a
	population of 300,000 or less.
	(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the
	rural sheriff's office salary assistance grant program to support
	the state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement
	throughout the state by providing financial assistance to sheriff's
	offices in qualified counties.
	(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a
	qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an
	application for a grant to the comptroller. A county may submit
	only one application each fiscal year.
	(d) The comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified
	county that applies for the grant using money appropriated to the
	comptroller for that purpose. The grant must be in the following
	applicable amount:
	(1) $250,000 if the county has a population of less
	than 10,000;
	(2) $350,000 if the county has a population of 10,000
	or more and less than 50,000; or
	(3) $500,000 if the county has a population of 50,000
	or more and 300,000 or less.
	(e) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize
	the use of the grant money only:
	(1) to provide a minimum annual salary of at least:
	(A) $75,000 for the county sheriff;
	(B) $45,000 for each deputy who makes motor
	vehicle stops in the routine performance of their duties; and
	(C) $40,000 for each jailer whose duties include
	the safekeeping of prisoners and the security of a jail operated by
	the county;
	(2) to increase the salary of a person described by
	Subdivision (1);
	(3) to hire additional deputies or staff for the
	sheriff's office; or
	(4) to purchase vehicles, firearms, and safety
	equipment for the sheriff's office.
	(f) A county that is awarded a grant may not use or authorize
	the use of the grant money for a purpose other than to meet the
	minimum salary requirements prescribed by Subsection (e)(1) until
	those requirements are satisfied.
	(g) A county may not reduce the amount of funds provided to
	the sheriff's office because of grant funds provided under this
	section.
	(h) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to
	implement this section, including rules that establish:
	(1) a standardized application process, including the
	form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the
	form;
	(2) deadlines for:
	(A) applying for the grant;
	(B) disbursement of grant money; and
	(C) spending grant money; and
	(3) procedures for:
	(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to
	ensure compliance with this section; and
	(B) the return of grant money that was not used by
	a county for a purpose authorized by this Statutes affected: Introduced: () Senate Committee Report: () Engrossed: () House Committee Report: () Enrolled: ()