Relating to creation of a grant program for certain peace officers who hold a master proficiency certificate, the official text

H.B. No. 4264

AN ACT

relating to creation of a grant program for certain peace officers

who hold a master proficiency certificate.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 772.013 to read as follows:

Sec. 772.013. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN PEACE OFFICERS WITH

MASTER PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATE. (a) In this section:

(1) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal

justice division established under Section 772.006.

(2) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of this

state or an agency of a political subdivision of this state

authorized by law to employ peace officers.

(3) "Peace officer" means a person elected, employed,

or appointed as a peace officer under Article 2A.001, Code of

Criminal Procedure, or other law.

(b) From money appropriated specifically for that purpose,

the criminal justice division may establish a grant program for the

public purpose of fostering the professional development of peace

officers employed in this state.

(c) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a person

must:

(1) hold a master proficiency certificate issued by

the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement under Section 1701.402,

Occupations Code;

(2) be employed on a full-time basis as a peace officer

by a law enforcement agency; and

(3) meet any other eligibility criteria established by

the criminal justice division.

(d) Only the following persons may apply for a grant under

this section:

(1) a law enforcement agency on behalf of an employee

of the agency who meets the eligibility criteria for a grant under

this section; or

(2) a person who meets the eligibility criteria for a

grant under this section with the consent of the person's employing

law enforcement agency.

(e) The criminal justice division may award a grant under

this section only to a law enforcement agency. The law enforcement

agency may use the money only to increase the compensation of the

employee who applied for the grant or for whom the agency applied

for the grant.

(f) If the grant program is established under Subsection

(b), the criminal justice division shall establish procedures for:

(1) processing grant applications in addition to any

other application procedures prescribed by this section;

(2) evaluating grant applications; and

(3) monitoring the use of a grant awarded under the

program and ensuring compliance with any condition of a grant.

(g) The criminal justice division shall award grants under

this section in an amount equal to $6,500 for each award.

(h) A grant awarded under this section may not be awarded to

the same person more than one time.

SECTION 2. The criminal justice division established under

Section 772.006, Government Code, may award a grant under Section

772.013, Government Code, as added by this Act, only with respect to

a master proficiency certificate issued under Section 1701.402,

Occupations Code, on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

______________________________
______________________________

President of the Senate
Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4264 was passed by the House on May 2,

2025, by the following vote: Yeas 115, Nays 17, 1 present, not

voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.

No. 4264 on May 28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 98, Nays 39,

1 present, not voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4264 was passed by the Senate, with

amendments, on May 26, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays

3.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

APPROVED: __________________

Date

__________________

Governor