HBA-TBM H.B. 2499 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2499
By: Marchant
Public Safety
3/28/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) does not require persons seeking
licensure as peace officers to hold a bachelor's degree. However, this does
not prohibit individual law enforcement agencies from adopting education
requirements for the officers the agencies hire.  While education
incentives can be beneficial, a state mandate requiring all licensed police
officers to hold bachelor's degrees may make it difficult for local law
enforcement agencies in small communities to hire adequate personnel.
House Bill 2499 prohibits TCLEOSE from creating a license or hiring
standard for police officers based on the completion of a college
education.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2499 amends the Occupations Code to prohibit the Texas
Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education from
requiring a person seeking licensure as a law enforcement officer to hold a
bachelor's degree as a condition for obtaining a license or requiring a law
enforcement agency or governmental entity to hire only peace officers who
hold bachelor's degrees.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.