EVB C.S.H.B. 1870 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1870 By: Solis, Juan Public Safety 4/15/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, peace officers are trained in a variety of ways, with differing requirements for certification, throughout the United States. All states, with the exception of Hawaii, recognize a standard basic training program. This recognition allows peace officers to transfer throughout the United States. C.S.H.B. 1870 deletes the authority of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLOSE) to consider employment as a peace officer in another state when determining whether a person is required to have additional training or testing. C.S.H.B. 1870 also prohibits TCLOSE from issuing a license to such a person unless that person has completed a basic training course for officers in the other state that is substantially equivalent to the basic peace officer training course established by TCLOSE under Section 415.031 (Programs and Instructors), Government Code, and has completed a supplemental training course approved or established by TCLOSE that covers topics specifically related to Texas law and applicable Texas procedure. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority previously delegated to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 415.052, Government Code) of the bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 415.052, Government Code, by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (e), as follows: (c) Deletes the authority of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLOSE) to consider employment as a peace officer in another state when determining whether a person is required to have additional training or testing. (e) Prohibits TCLOSE from granting a license to a person who was previously employed as a peace officer in another state unless that person has completed a basic training course for officers in the other state that is substantially equivalent to the basic peace officer training course established by TCLOSE under Section 415.031 (Programs and Instructors), Government Code, and has completed a supplemental training course approved or established by TCLOSE that covers topics specifically related to Texas law and applicable Texas procedure. SECTION 2.Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3.Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1870 modifies the original bill in SECTION 1 (Section 415.052 (Granting of License), Government Code), by prohibiting the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLOSE) from granting a license to a person who was previously employed as a peace officer in another state unless that person has completed a basic training course for officers in the other state that is substantially equivalent to the basic peace officer training course established by TCLOSE under Section 415.031 (Programs and Instructors), Government Code, and has completed a supplemental training course approved or established by TCLOSE that covers topics specifically related to Texas law and applicable Texas procedure; rather than completed the basic training course for officers established by TCLOSE under Section 415.031.