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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of grant programs to provide |
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financial assistance to qualified sheriff's departments in certain |
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rural counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 130, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 130.9115 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.9115. RURAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SHORTAGE RELIEF GRANT |
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PROGRAM. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Deputy-to-resident ratio" means the ratio of the |
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number of deputy sheriffs to the number of residents of the |
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unincorporated areas of the county, as determined by the population |
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estimates provided by the state demographer under Section 468.004, |
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Government Code. |
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(2) "Grant" means a grant authorized to be awarded by |
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the comptroller under the rural sheriff's deputy shortage relief |
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grant program established by this section. |
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(3) "Investigative tool" means equipment, including |
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software, used by a sheriff's office that is necessary for the |
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investigation of cases. The term does not include services unless |
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the services are purchased in connection with the purchase of |
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tangible equipment. |
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(4) "Investigator-to-patrol ratio" means the ratio of |
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the number of deputy sheriffs who primarily conduct case |
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investigations in the routine performance of the deputy's duties to |
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the number of deputy sheriffs who primarily make motor vehicle |
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stops in the routine performance of the deputy's duties. |
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(5) "Qualified county" means a county: |
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(A) with a population of 300,000 or less; and |
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(B) for which on January 1, 2025: |
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(i) the deputy-to-resident ratio is less |
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than 15 to 10,000; or |
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(ii) the investigator-to-patrol ratio is |
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less than one to five. |
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(6) "Qualified deputy position" means a deputy sheriff |
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position in a qualified county that: |
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(A) is held or will be held by a deputy sheriff |
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who primarily makes motor vehicle stops in the routine performance |
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of the deputy's duties; |
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(B) is in addition to a deputy sheriff position |
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held in the county on January 1, 2025; |
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(C) is not considered a qualified investigator |
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position; and |
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(D) when aggregated with each other qualified |
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deputy position would result in a deputy-to-resident ratio of 15 to |
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10,000, determined as of January 1, 2025. |
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(7) "Qualified emergency dispatcher" means a person |
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who primarily provides communication support services for a |
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sheriff's office by responding to requests for assistance in |
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emergencies. |
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(8) "Qualified investigative support staff member" |
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means a person who primarily provides technical support services |
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for a qualified investigator in the investigation of an offense, |
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including a person who provides evidence testing or analysis |
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services. |
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(9) "Qualified investigator position" means a deputy |
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sheriff position in a qualified county that: |
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(A) is held or will be held by a deputy sheriff |
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who primarily conducts case investigations in the routine |
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performance of the deputy's duties; |
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(B) is in addition to a deputy sheriff position |
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held in the county on January 1, 2025; and |
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(C) when aggregated with each other qualified |
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investigator position would result in an investigator-to-patrol |
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ratio of one to five, determined as of January 1, 2025. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and administer the |
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rural sheriff's deputy shortage relief grant program to support the |
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state purpose of ensuring professional law enforcement throughout |
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the state by providing financial assistance to sheriff's |
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departments in qualified counties. |
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(c) Not later than the 30th day after the first day of a |
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qualified county's fiscal year, the county may submit an |
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application for a grant to the comptroller. The county must |
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indicate in the application the number of qualified deputy |
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positions, qualified investigator positions, qualified emergency |
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dispatcher positions, and qualified investigative support staff |
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member positions the county is requesting for inclusion in the |
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determination of the amount of the grant for that fiscal year and |
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the number of qualified deputy positions and qualified investigator |
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positions for which the county is requesting additional funds |
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described by Subsections (d)(2) and (4). A county may submit only |
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one application each fiscal year. |
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(d) Subject to Subsections (e), (f), (g), (h), and (k), the |
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comptroller shall award a grant to a qualified county that applies |
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for the grant using money appropriated to the comptroller for that |
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purpose. The grant must be in the following amount: |
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(1) $50,000 for each qualified deputy position |
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indicated by the county in the application for that fiscal year; |
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(2) an additional $50,000 for each qualified deputy |
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position indicated in the application for that fiscal year, unless |
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the county has received a grant under this subdivision for that |
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position in a preceding fiscal year; |
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(3) $50,000 for each qualified investigator position |
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indicated by the county in the application for that fiscal year |
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necessary for an investigator-to-patrol ratio of one to five after |
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filling the qualified deputy positions under the grant; |
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(4) an additional $50,000 for each qualified |
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investigator position indicated in the application for that fiscal |
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year, unless the county has received a grant under this subdivision |
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for that position in a preceding fiscal year; |
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(5) $35,000 for each qualified emergency dispatcher |
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indicated by the county in the application for that fiscal year; and |
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(6) $35,000 for each qualified investigative support |
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staff member indicated by the county in the application for that |
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fiscal year. |
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(e) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county that meets the deputy-to-resident ratio described |
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by Subsection (a)(5)(B)(i) during a calendar year that begins on or |
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after January 1, 2025, but before the calendar year in which the |
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fiscal year begins. A qualified county is not eligible to receive a |
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grant under this section for a fiscal year unless the county adopts |
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a budget for the fiscal year that provides for the employment of a |
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number of deputy sheriffs necessary to meet the deputy-to-resident |
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ratio of at least 15 to 10,000, determined as of January 1 of the |
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calendar year in which the fiscal year begins. |
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(f) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county for which the number of qualified deputy positions |
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the county is otherwise entitled to receive a grant for under this |
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section is greater than the number of qualified deputy positions |
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the county would be entitled to receive a grant for under this |
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section if the deputy-to-resident ratio described by Subsection |
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(a)(5)(B)(i) is determined as of January 1 of the calendar year in |
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which the fiscal year begins instead of January 1, 2025. A |
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qualified county is entitled to receive a grant under this section |
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only for the number of qualified deputy positions the county would |
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be entitled to receive a grant for if the deputy-to-resident ratio |
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described by Subsection (a)(5)(B)(i) is determined as of January 1 |
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of the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins instead of |
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January 1, 2025. |
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(g) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county that meets the investigator-to-patrol ratio |
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described by Subsection (a)(5)(B)(ii) during a calendar year that |
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begins on or after January 1, 2025, but before the calendar year in |
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which the fiscal year begins. A qualified county is not eligible to |
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receive a grant under this section for a fiscal year unless the |
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county adopts a budget for the fiscal year that provides for the |
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employment of a number of deputy sheriffs necessary to meet the |
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investigator-to-patrol ratio of at least one to five, determined as |
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of January 1 of the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins. |
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(h) This subsection applies only to a fiscal year of a |
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qualified county for which the number of qualified investigator |
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positions the county is otherwise entitled to receive a grant for |
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under this section is greater than the number of qualified |
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investigator positions the county would be entitled to receive a |
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grant for under this section if the investigator-to-patrol ratio |
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described by Subsection (a)(5)(B)(ii) is determined as of January 1 |
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of the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins instead of |
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January 1, 2025. A qualified county is entitled to receive a grant |
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under this section only for the number of qualified investigator |
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positions the county would be entitled to receive a grant for if the |
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investigator-to-patrol ratio described by Subsection (a)(5)(B)(ii) |
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is determined as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the |
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fiscal year begins instead of January 1, 2025. |
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(i) A county that is awarded a grant shall use or authorize |
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the use of the grant money only: |
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(1) to provide to each deputy sheriff who fills a |
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qualified deputy position a minimum annual salary of at least |
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$45,000; |
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(2) to provide to each deputy sheriff who fills a |
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qualified investigator position a minimum annual salary of at least |
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$45,000; |
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(3) to provide to each dispatcher who fills a |
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qualified emergency dispatcher position a minimum annual salary of |
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at least $30,000; |
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(4) to provide to each investigative support staff |
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member who fills a qualified investigative support staff position a |
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minimum salary of at least $30,000; |
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(5) to purchase vehicles, firearms, and safety |
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equipment for the use of a deputy sheriff who fills a qualified |
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deputy position; and |
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(6) to purchase vehicles, firearms, investigative |
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tools, and safety equipment for the use of a deputy sheriff who |
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fills a qualified investigator position. |
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(j) A county that is awarded a grant may not reduce the |
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sheriff's department budget for the county's fiscal year following |
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the fiscal year in which the comptroller awards the grant. |
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(k) The total dollar amount awarded under this section may |
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not exceed $150 million in a state fiscal year. If the total dollar |
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amount of grants to which counties are entitled under this section |
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exceeds the limitation under this subsection in a state fiscal |
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year, the comptroller shall proportionally reduce the amount of |
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each grant awarded so the limitation is not exceeded. |
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(l) The comptroller shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section, including rules that establish: |
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(1) a standardized application process, including the |
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form to be used to apply for a grant and the manner of submitting the |
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form; |
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(2) deadlines for: |
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(A) applying for the grant; |
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(B) disbursement of grant money; and |
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(C) spending grant money; |
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(3) procedures for: |
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(A) monitoring the disbursement of grant money to |
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ensure compliance with this section; and |
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(B) the return of grant money that was not used by |
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a county for a purpose authorized by this section; and |
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(4) standards to determine if an emergency dispatcher |
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is a qualified emergency dispatcher. |
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SECTION 2. A qualified county, as defined by Section |
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130.9115, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, may not apply |
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for a grant under that section before September 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |