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.