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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a new category of law enforcement |
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officer who shall be designated a school marshal, the training and |
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appointment of certain employees of a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school as school marshals, and the rights, |
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restrictions, limitations, and responsibilities of school |
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marshals; authorizing the imposition of a fee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as The Protection of |
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Texas Children Act. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 2, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Article 2.127 to read as follows: |
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Art. 2.127. SCHOOL MARSHALS. (a) Except as provided by |
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Subsection (b), a school marshal may make arrests and exercise all |
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authority given peace officers under this code, subject to written |
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regulations adopted by the board of trustees of a school district or |
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the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school under |
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Section 37.0811, Education Code, and only act as necessary to |
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prevent or abate the commission of an offense that threatens |
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serious bodily injury or death of students, faculty or visitors on |
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school premises. |
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(b) A school marshal may not issue a traffic citation for a |
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violation of Chapter 521, Transportation Code, or Subtitle C, Title |
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7, Transportation Code. |
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(c) A school marshal is not entitled to state benefits |
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normally provided by the state to a peace officer. |
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(d) A person may not serve as a school marshal unless the |
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person is: |
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(1) licensed under Section 1701.260, Occupations |
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Code; and |
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(2) appointed by the board of trustees of a school |
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district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school |
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under Section 37.0811, Education Code. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 37.0811 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.0811. SCHOOL MARSHALS. (a) The board of trustees |
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of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment |
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charter school may appoint not more than one school marshal per 400 |
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students in average daily attendance per campus. |
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(b) The board of trustees of a school district or the |
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governing body of an open-enrollment charter school may select for |
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appointment as a school marshal under this section an applicant who |
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is an employee of the school district or open-enrollment charter |
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school and certified as eligible for appointment under Section |
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1701.260, Occupations Code. The board of trustees or governing body |
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may, but shall not be required to, reimburse the amount paid by the |
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applicant to participate in the training program under that |
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section. |
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(c) A school marshal appointed by the board of trustees of a |
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school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter |
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school may carry or possess a handgun on the physical premises of a |
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school, but only: |
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(1) in the manner provided by written regulations |
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adopted by the board of trustees or the governing body; and |
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(2) at a specific school as specified by the board of |
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trustees or governing body, as applicable. |
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(d) Any written regulations adopted for purposes of |
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Subsection (c) must provide that a school marshal may carry a |
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concealed handgun as described by Subsection (c), except that if |
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the primary duty of the school marshal involves regular, direct |
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contact with students, the marshal may not carry a concealed |
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handgun but may possess a handgun on the physical premises of a |
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school in a locked and secured safe within the marshal's immediate |
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reach when conducting the marshal's primary duty. The written |
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regulations must also require that a handgun carried by or within |
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access of a school marshal may be loaded only with frangible |
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ammunition designed to disintegrate on impact for maximum safety |
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and minimal danger to others. |
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(e) A school marshal may access a handgun under this section |
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only under circumstances that would justify the use of deadly force |
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under Section 9.32 or 9.33, Penal Code. |
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(f) A school district or charter school employee's status as |
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a school marshal becomes inactive on: |
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(1) expiration of the employee's school marshal |
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license under Section 1701.260, Occupations Code; |
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(2) suspension or revocation of the employee's license |
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to carry a concealed handgun issued under Subchapter H, Chapter |
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411, Government Code; |
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(3) termination of the employee's employment with the |
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district or charter school; or |
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(4) notice from the board of trustees of the district |
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or the governing body of the charter school that the employee's |
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services as school marshal are no longer required. |
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(g) The identity of a school marshal appointed under this |
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section is confidential, except as provided by Section 1701.260(j), |
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Occupations Code, and is not subject to a request under Chapter 552, |
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Government Code. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 411.1871 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 411.1871. NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF |
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CERTAIN LICENSES. The department shall notify the Texas Commission |
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on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education if the |
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department takes any action against the license of a person |
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identified by the commission as a person certified under Section |
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1701.260, Occupations Code, including suspension or revocation. |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter F, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 1701.260 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1701.260. TRAINING FOR HOLDERS OF LICENSE TO CARRY |
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CONCEALED HANDGUN; CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR APPOINTMENT AS |
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SCHOOL MARSHAL. (a) The commission shall establish and maintain a |
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training program open to any employee of a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school who holds a license to carry a |
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concealed handgun issued under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, |
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Government Code. The training may be conducted only by the |
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commission staff or a provider approved by the commission. |
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(b) The commission shall collect from each person who |
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participates in the training program identifying information that |
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includes the person's name, the person's date of birth, the license |
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number of the license issued to the person under Subchapter H, |
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Chapter 411, Government Code, and the address of the person's place |
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of employment. |
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(c) The training program shall include 80 hours of |
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instruction designed to: |
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(1) emphasize strategies for preventing school |
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shootings and for securing the safety of potential victims of |
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school shootings; |
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(2) educate a trainee about legal issues relating to |
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the duties of peace officers and the use of force or deadly force in |
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the protection of others; |
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(3) introduce the trainee to effective law enforcement |
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strategies and techniques; |
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(4) improve the trainee's proficiency with a handgun; |
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and |
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(5) enable the trainee to respond to an emergency |
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situation requiring deadly force, such as a situation involving an |
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active shooter. |
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(d) The commission, in consultation with psychologists, |
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shall devise and administer to each trainee a psychological |
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examination to determine whether the trainee is psychologically fit |
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to carry out the duties of a school marshal in an emergency shooting |
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or situation involving an active shooter. The commission may |
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license a person under this section only if the results of the |
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examination indicate that the trainee is psychologically fit to |
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carry out those duties. |
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(e) The commission shall charge each trainee a reasonable |
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fee to cover the cost to the commission of conducting the program. |
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The commission shall charge each person seeking renewal of school |
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marshal license a reasonable fee to cover the cost to the commission |
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of renewing the person's license. |
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(f) The commission shall license a person who is eligible |
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for appointment as a school marshal who: |
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(1) completes training under this section to the |
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satisfaction of the commission staff; and |
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(2) is psychologically fit to carry out the duties of a |
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school marshal as indicated by the results of the psychological |
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examination administered under this section. |
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(g) A person's license under this section expires on the |
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first birthday of the person occurring after the second anniversary |
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of the date the commission licenses the person. A renewed school |
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marshal license expires on the person's birth date, two years after |
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the expiration of the previous license. |
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(h) A person may renew the school marshal license under this |
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section by: |
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(1) successfully completing a renewal course designed |
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and administered by the commission, which such license renewal |
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training will not exceed 16 hours combined of classroom and |
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simulation training; |
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(2) demonstrating appropriate knowledge on an |
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examination designed and administered by the commission; |
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(3) demonstrating handgun proficiency to the |
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satisfaction of the commission staff; and |
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(4) demonstrating psychological fitness on the |
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examination described in Subsection (d). |
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(i) The commission shall revoke a person's school marshal |
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license if the commission is notified by the Department of Public |
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Safety that the person's license to carry a concealed handgun |
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issued under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, has been |
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suspended or revoked. A person whose school marshal license is |
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revoked may obtain recertification by: |
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(1) furnishing proof to the commission that the |
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person's concealed handgun license has been reinstated; and |
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(2) completing the initial training under Subsection |
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(c) to the satisfaction of the commission staff, paying the fee for |
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the training, and demonstrating psychological fitness on the |
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psychological examination described in Subsection (d). |
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(j) The commission shall submit the identifying information |
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collected under Subsection (b) for each person licensed by the |
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commission under this section to: |
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(1) the director of the Department of Public Safety; |
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(2) the person's employer, if the person is employed by |
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a school district or open-enrollment charter school; |
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(3) the chief law enforcement officer of the local |
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municipal law enforcement agency if the person is employed at a |
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campus of a school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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located within a municipality; |
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(4) the sheriff of the county if the person is employed |
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at a campus of a school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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that is not located within a municipality; and |
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(5) the chief administrator of any peace officer |
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commissioned under Section 37.081, Education Code, if the person is |
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employed at a school district that has commissioned a peace officer |
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under that section. |
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(k) The commission shall immediately report the expiration |
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or revocation of a school marshal license to the persons listed in |
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Subsection (j). |
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(l) Identifying information about a person collected or |
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submitted under this section is confidential, except as provided by |
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Subsection (j), and is not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, |
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Government Code. |
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SECTION 6. Chapter 1701.001, Occupations Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 1701.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Commission on Law |
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Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. |
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(2) "County jailer" means a person employed as a |
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county jail guard under Section 85.005, Local Government Code. |
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(3) "Officer" means a peace officer or reserve law |
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enforcement officer. |
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(4) "Peace officer" means a person elected, employed, |
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or appointed as a peace officer under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal |
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Procedure, or other law. |
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(5) "Public security officer" means a person employed |
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or appointed as an armed security officer by this state or a |
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political subdivision of this state. The term does not include a |
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security officer employed by a private security company that |
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contracts with this state or a political subdivision of this state |
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to provide security services for the entity. |
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(6) "Reserve law enforcement officer" means a person |
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designated as a reserve law enforcement officer under Section |
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85.004, 86.012, or 341.012, Local Government Code, or Section |
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60.0775, Water Code. |
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(7) "Telecommunicator" means a person acknowledged by |
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the commission and employed by or serving a law enforcement agency |
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that performs law enforcement services on a 24-hour basis who |
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receives, processes, and transmits public safety information and |
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criminal justice data for the agency by using a base radio station |
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on a public safety frequency regulated by the Federal |
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Communications Commission or by another method of communication. |
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(8) "School Marshal" means a person employed and |
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appointed by the board of trustees of a school district or the |
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governing body of an open-enrollment charter school under Article |
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2.127 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and in accordance with and |
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having the rights provided by Section 37.0811 of the Education |
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Code. |
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SECTION 7. Subchapter G, Chapter 1701, Section 301 of the |
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Occupations Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER G. LICENSE REQUIREMENTS; DISQUALIFICATIONS AND |
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EXEMPTIONS |
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Sec. 1701.301. LICENSE REQUIRED. Except as provided by |
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Sections 1701.310 and 1701.311, a person may not appoint a person to |
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serve as an officer, county jailer, school marshal, or public |
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security officer unless the person appointed holds an appropriate |
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license issued by the commission. |
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SECTION 8. The Commission on Law Enforcement Officer |
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Standards and Education shall establish a school marshal training |
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program as required by Section 1701.260, Occupations Code, as added |
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by this Act, not later than January 1, 2014. |
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SECTION 9. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |