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
Statutes affected: Introduced: Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Page - - As Received Code 2.01 (Subchapter Z, Chapter , Local Government Page - - As Received Code 2)