The bill, S.B. No. 1329, establishes a grant program to assist school district police departments in Texas with accreditation. It amends the Government Code by adding Section 403.0303, which mandates the comptroller to create and manage a grant program that provides financial assistance to school district police departments seeking accreditation as per the rules set forth in Section 1701.171 of the Occupations Code. To qualify for the grant, departments must have a contract with an accrediting entity and complete an initial assessment. The grant can cover costs such as accreditation fees and necessary staffing, with a maximum award of $30,000 per department. Additionally, the bill stipulates that starting September 1, 2031, only accredited departments will be eligible for other law enforcement grants administered by the comptroller.

Furthermore, the bill introduces Section 1701.171 to the Occupations Code, which requires all school district police departments to become accredited by September 1, 2031. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement is tasked with adopting rules for this accreditation process, which includes executing contracts with approved accrediting entities. The commission will also assist departments in achieving accreditation and will maintain a list of accredited departments on its website. The bill mandates that the commission adopt these rules by December 1, 2025, and the comptroller establish the grant program by January 1, 2026.

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