By: Guillen, Morales of Maverick, et al.	H.B. No. 318

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