Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
		By: Guillen
            H.B. No. 18
         
               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)  "Deputy-to-resident ratio" means the ratio of the 
         
            number of deputy sheriffs to the number of residents of the 
         
            unincorporated areas of the county, as determined by the population 
         
            estimates provided by the state demographer under Section 468.004, 
         
            Government Code.
         
                         (2)  "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.
         
                         (3)  "Qualified county" means a county:
         
                               (A)  with a population of 300,000 or less; and
         
                               (B)  for which on January 1, 2024, the 
         
            deputy-to-resident ratio is less than 15 to 10,000.
         
                         (4)  "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 deputy-to-resident ratio of 15 to 
         
            10,000, determined 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)  Subject to Subsections (e), (f), and (j), 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 amount:
         
                         (1)  $50,000 for each qualified deputy position 
         
            indicated by the county in the application for that fiscal year; and
         
                         (2)  an additional $50,000 for each qualified deputy 
         
            position indicated in the application for that fiscal year, unless 
         
            the county has received a grant under this subdivision for that 
         
            position in a preceding fiscal year.
         
            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) "Deputy-to-resident ratio" means the ratio of the
	number of deputy sheriffs to the number of residents of the
	unincorporated areas of the county, as determined by the population
	estimates provided by the state demographer under Section 468.004,
	Government Code.
	(2) "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.
	(3) "Qualified county" means a county:
	(A) with a population of 300,000 or less; and
	(B) for which on January 1, 2024, the
	deputy-to-resident ratio is less than 15 to 10,000.
	(4) "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 deputy-to-resident ratio of 15 to
	10,000, determined 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) Subject to Subsections (e), (f), and (j), 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 amount:
	(1) $50,000 for each qualified deputy position
	indicated by the county in the application for that fiscal year; and
	(2) an additional $50,000 for each qualified deputy
	position indicated in the application for that fiscal year, unless
	the county has received a grant under this subdivision for that
	position in a preceding fiscal year.
	Statutes affected: Introduced: Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Code 2.01 (Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Code 2)