Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

   
      88(3) HB 169 - Introduced version - Bill Text
      
		By:  Guillen
            H.B.  No.  169
         
               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
            
               AN ACT
            
            relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide 
         
            financial assistance to qualified sheriff's departments in certain 
         
            rural counties; making an appropriation.
         
                          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
            ARTICLE 1.   LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS
         
                          SECTION  1.01.    The legislature finds that:
         
                                      (1)    the legislature acting with the governor has the 
         
            solemn duty to protect the citizens of this state;
         
                                      (2)    many rural counties of this state are experiencing 
         
            rapid population growth due to the influx of individuals from 
         
            metropolitan areas and from outside the state;
         
                                      (3)    many of these individuals settle in developments 
         
            like Colony Ridge in Liberty County, leading to population growth 
         
            and population density previously unseen in these rural counties; 
         
            and
         
                                      (4)    the increases in population and density strain the 
         
            resources of these rural counties to provide adequate public 
         
            services to their citizens, particularly when it comes to providing 
         
            law enforcement in unincorporated areas of the county.
         
            ARTICLE 2.   RURAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGE RELIEF
         
                          SECTION  2.01.    Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government  
         
            Code, is amended by adding Section 130.914 to read as follows:
         
                          Sec.  130.914.    RURAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGE RELIEF GRANT 
         
            PROGRAM.  (a)   In this section:
         
                                      (1)    "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by 
         
            the comptroller under the rural sheriff's deputy shortage relief 
         
            grant program established by this section.
         
                                      (2)    "Qualified county" means a county:
         
                                                  (A)    with a population of 300,000 or less; and
         
                                                  (B)    for which on January 1, 2024, the ratio of the 
         
            number of deputy sheriffs who make motor vehicle stops in the 
         
            routine performance of the deputies' duties to the number of 
         
            residents of the unincorporated areas of the county on that date, as 
         
            determined by population estimates provided by the state 
         
            demographer under Section 468.004, Government Code, is less than 15 
         
            deputies to each 10,000 residents.
         
                                      (3)    "Qualified deputy position" means a deputy sheriff 
         
            position in a qualified county that:
         
                                                  (A)    is held or will be held by a deputy sheriff 
         
            who makes motor vehicle stops in the routine performance of the 
         
            deputy's duties;
         
                                                  (B)    is in addition to a deputy sheriff position 
         
            held in the county on January 1, 2024; and
         
                                                  (C)    when aggregated with each other qualified 
         
            deputy position would result in a number of deputy sheriffs who 
         
            perform the duty described by Paragraph (A) equal to the number of 
         
            deputies needed to meet the ratio of 15 deputies to each 10,000 
         
            residents, calculated as described by Subdivision (2)(B) as of 
         
            January 1, 2024.
         
                          (b)    The comptroller shall establish and administer the 
         
            rural  sheriff's deputy shortage relief grant program to support 
         
            the state  purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement 
         
            throughout the  state by providing financial assistance to 
         
            sheriff's departments  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.   The county must 
         
            indicate in the application the number of qualified deputy 
         
            positions the county is requesting for inclusion in the 
         
            determination of the amount of the grant for that fiscal year and 
         
            the number for which the county is requesting additional funds 
         
            described by Subsection (d)(2).   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 fo
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Code 2.01 (Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Code 2)



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide
	financial assistance to qualified sheriff's departments in certain
	rural counties; making an appropriation.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	ARTICLE 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS
	SECTION 1.01. The legislature finds that:
	(1) the legislature acting with the governor has the
	solemn duty to protect the citizens of this state;
	(2) many rural counties of this state are experiencing
	rapid population growth due to the influx of individuals from
	metropolitan areas and from outside the state;
	(3) many of these individuals settle in developments
	like Colony Ridge in Liberty County, leading to population growth
	and population density previously unseen in these rural counties;
	and
	(4) the increases in population and density strain the
	resources of these rural counties to provide adequate public
	services to their citizens, particularly when it comes to providing
	law enforcement in unincorporated areas of the county.
	ARTICLE 2. RURAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGE RELIEF
	SECTION 2.01. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government
	Code, is amended by adding Section 130.914 to read as follows:
	Sec. 130.914. RURAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGE RELIEF GRANT
	PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
	(1) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by
	the comptroller under the rural sheriff's deputy shortage relief
	grant program established by this section.
	(2) "Qualified county" means a county:
	(A) with a population of 300,000 or less; and
	(B) for which on January 1, 2024, the ratio of the
	number of deputy sheriffs who make motor vehicle stops in the
	routine performance of the deputies' duties to the number of
	residents of the unincorporated areas of the county on that date, as
	determined by population estimates provided by the state
	demographer under Section 468.004, Government Code, is less than 15
	deputies to each 10,000 residents.
	(3) "Qualified deputy position" means a deputy sheriff
	position in a qualified county that:
	(A) is held or will be held by a deputy sheriff
	who makes motor vehicle stops in the routine performance of the
	deputy's duties;
	(B) is in addition to a deputy sheriff position
	held in the county on January 1, 2024; and
	(C) when aggregated with each other qualified
	deputy position would result in a number of deputy sheriffs who
	perform the duty described by Paragraph (A) equal to the number of
	deputies needed to meet the ratio of 15 deputies to each 10,000
	residents, calculated as described by Subdivision (2)(B) as of
	January 1, 2024.
	(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the
	rural sheriff's deputy shortage relief grant program to support
	the state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement
	throughout the state by providing financial assistance to
	sheriff's departments 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. The county must
	indicate in the application the number of qualified deputy
	positions the county is requesting for inclusion in the
	determination of the amount of the grant for that fiscal year and
	the number for which the county is requesting additional funds
	described by Subsection (d)(2). 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 fo Statutes affected: Introduced: Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Code 2.01 (Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Code 2)