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AN ACT
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relating to entrance examination procedures for certain police |
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officers under municipal civil service. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 143.025, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (k) to read as follows: |
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(k) This section does not apply to a police department |
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located in a municipality with a population of 1.5 million or more. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 143, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 143.1041 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 143.1041. ENTRANCE EXAMINATION FOR BEGINNING PEACE |
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OFFICER POSITION IN POLICE DEPARTMENT. (a) In this section, |
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"police officer training academy" means a police officer training |
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academy operated or sponsored by a municipality to which this |
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section applies. |
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(b) The commission shall provide for open, competitive, and |
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free entrance examinations to provide eligibility lists for |
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beginning peace officer positions in the police department. The |
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examinations are open to each person who: |
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(1) makes a proper application; |
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(2) has been admitted to or is enrolled in a police |
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officer training academy as an academy trainee; and |
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(3) meets the requirements prescribed by this chapter. |
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(c) The entrance examination may be administered to |
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examinees only after the examinees are admitted to a police officer |
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training academy and before the examinees graduate from the |
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academy. |
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(d) An eligibility list for a beginning peace officer |
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position in the police department may be created only as a result of |
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the examination. Except as provided by Subsection (f), the |
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examination must be held in the presence of each examinee. The |
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examination must be based on the examinee's general knowledge and |
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aptitude and must inquire into the examinee's general education and |
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mental ability. A person may not be appointed to the police |
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department except as a result of the examination. |
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(e) An examinee may not take an examination unless at least |
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one other examinee taking the examination is present. |
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(f) An entrance examination for beginning peace officer |
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positions in the police department must be held at one or more |
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locations in the municipality in which the police department is |
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located and may be held at additional locations outside the |
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municipality. An examination held at multiple locations must be |
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administered on the same day and at the same time at each location |
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at which it is given. To create one eligibility list, each member |
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of a police officer training academy class shall take the |
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examination at the same time and each examinee who takes that |
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examination shall: |
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(1) take the same examination; and |
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(2) be examined in the presence of other examinees. |
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(g) An additional five points shall be added to the |
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examination grade of an examinee who: |
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(1) served in the United States armed forces; |
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(2) received an honorable discharge from that service; |
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and |
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(3) made a passing grade on the examination. |
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(h) The grade to be placed on the eligibility list for each |
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examinee shall be computed by adding an examinee's points under |
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Subsection (g), if any, to the examinee's grade on the written |
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examination. Each examinee's grade on the written examination is |
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based on a maximum grade of 100 percent and is determined entirely |
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by the correctness of the examinee's answers to the questions. The |
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minimum passing grade on the examination is 70 percent. An examinee |
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must pass the examination to be placed on an eligibility list. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an examination administered for a position as a beginning peace |
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officer on or after the effective date of this Act. An examination |
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administered before the effective date of this Act and matters |
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dependent on the examination are governed by the law in effect at |
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the time the examination was administered, and the prior law is |
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continued in effect for this purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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____________________________________________________________ |
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President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 339 passed the Senate on |
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March 28, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 339 passed the House on |
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April 25, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, one |
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present not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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Approved: |
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______________________________ |
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______________________________ |
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Date |
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______________________________ |
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______________________________ |
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Governor |