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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 grant program to assist law |
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enforcement agencies with the purchase of bulletproof vests and |
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body armor. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 772.0073 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 772.0073. BULLETPROOF VEST AND BODY ARMOR GRANT |
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PROGRAM. (a) In this section, "criminal justice division" means |
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the criminal justice division established under Section 772.006. |
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(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and |
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administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a law |
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enforcement agency in this state that seeks to equip its peace |
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officers with bulletproof vests, ballistic plates, and plate |
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carriers. |
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(c) A vest or plate purchased with a grant received under |
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this section must comply with a National Institute of Justice |
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standard for rifle protection. |
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(d) A law enforcement agency may apply for a grant under |
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this section only if the agency first adopts a policy addressing |
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the: |
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(1) deployment and allocation of vests or plates to |
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its officers; and |
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(2) usage of vests or plates by its officers. |
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(e) A law enforcement agency receiving a grant under this |
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section must, as soon as practicable after receiving the grant, |
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provide to the criminal justice division proof of purchase of |
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bulletproof vests, ballistic plates, and plate carriers, including |
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the price of each item and the number of each type of item |
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purchased. |
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(f) Not later than December 1 of each year, the criminal |
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justice division shall submit to the Legislative Budget Board a |
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report that provides the following information for the preceding |
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state fiscal year: |
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(1) the name of each law enforcement agency that |
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applied for a grant under this section; |
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(2) the amount of money distributed to each law |
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enforcement agency that received a grant under this section; and |
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(3) as reported under Subsection (e), the number of |
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vests, plates, and carriers purchased by each agency described by |
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Subdivision (2). |
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(g) The criminal justice division may use any revenue |
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available for purposes of this section. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2017. |