H.B. No. 1951

	AN ACT
	relating to the licensing and regulation of telecommunicators;
	providing a criminal penalty.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 1701.151, Occupations Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 1701.151.  GENERAL POWERS OF COMMISSION; RULEMAKING
	AUTHORITY.  The commission may:
	(1)  adopt rules for the administration of this chapter
	and for the commission's internal management and control;
	(2)  establish minimum standards relating to
	competence and reliability, including education, training,
	physical, mental, and moral standards, for licensing as an officer,
	county jailer, [or] public security officer, or [employment as a]
	telecommunicator;
	(3)  report to the governor and legislature on the
	commission's activities, with recommendations on matters under the
	commission's jurisdiction, and make other reports that the
	commission considers desirable;
	(4)  require a state agency or a county, special
	district, or municipality in this state that employs officers,
	telecommunicators, or county jailers to submit reports and
	information;
	(5)  contract as the commission considers necessary for
	services, facilities, studies, and reports required for:
	(A)  cooperation with municipal, county, special
	district, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in training
	programs; and
	(B)  performance of the commission's other
	functions; and
	(6)  conduct research and stimulate research by public
	and private agencies to improve law enforcement and police
	administration.
	SECTION 2.  Sections 1701.251(a) and (c), Occupations Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The commission shall establish and maintain training
	programs for officers, [and] county jailers, and
	telecommunicators. The training shall be conducted by the
	commission staff or by other agencies and institutions the
	commission considers appropriate.
	(c)  The commission may:
	(1)  issue or revoke the license of a school operated by
	or for this state or a political subdivision of this state
	specifically for training officers, county jailers, [or] recruits,
	or telecommunicators;
	(2)  operate schools and conduct preparatory,
	in-service, basic, and advanced courses in the schools, as the
	commission determines appropriate, for officers, county jailers,
	[and] recruits, and telecommunicators;
	(3)  issue a license to a person to act as a qualified
	instructor under conditions that the commission prescribes; and
	(4)  consult and cooperate with a municipality, county,
	special district, state agency or other governmental agency, or a
	university, college, junior college, or other institution,
	concerning the development of schools and training programs for
	officers, [and] county jailers, and telecommunicators.
	SECTION 3.  Section 1701.301, Occupations Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 1701.301.  LICENSE REQUIRED. Except as provided by
	Sections 1701.310, [and] 1701.311, and 1701.405, a person may not
	appoint or employ a person to serve as an officer, county jailer,
	[or] public security officer, or telecommunicator unless the person
	[appointed] holds an appropriate license issued by the commission.
	SECTION 4.  Section 1701.303, Occupations Code, is amended
	by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
	(c)  A person who appoints or employs a telecommunicator
	licensed by the commission shall notify the commission not later
	than the 30th day after the date of the appointment or employment.
	If the person appoints or employs an individual who previously
	served as a telecommunicator and the appointment or employment
	occurs after the 180th day after the last date of service as a
	telecommunicator, the person must have on file in a form readily
	accessible to the commission:
	(1)  new criminal history record information; and
	(2)  two completed fingerprint cards.
	SECTION 5.  The heading to Section 1701.307, Occupations
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 1701.307.  ISSUANCE OF OFFICER OR COUNTY JAILER
	LICENSE.
	SECTION 6.  Section 1701.307(a), Occupations Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The commission shall issue an appropriate officer or
	county jailer license to a person who, as required by this chapter:
	(1)  submits an application;
	(2)  completes the required training;
	(3)  passes the required examination;
	(4)  is declared to be in satisfactory psychological
	and emotional health and free from drug dependency or illegal drug
	use; and
	(5)  demonstrates weapons proficiency.
	SECTION 7.  Subchapter G, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
	amended by adding Section 1701.3071 to read as follows:
	Sec. 1701.3071.  ISSUANCE OF TELECOMMUNICATOR LICENSE. (a)
	The commission shall issue a telecommunicator license to a person
	who:
	(1)  submits an application;
	(2)  completes the required training;
	(3)  passes the required examination; and
	(4)  meets any other requirement of this chapter and
	the rules prescribed by the commission to qualify as a
	telecommunicator.
	(b)  The commission may issue a temporary or permanent
	license to a person to act as a telecommunicator.
	SECTION 8.  Section 1701.352, Occupations Code, is amended
	by adding Subsection (i) to read as follows:
	(i)  A state agency, county, special district, or
	municipality that appoints or employs a telecommunicator shall
	provide training to the telecommunicator of not less than 20 hours
	during each 24-month period of employment. The training must be
	approved by the commission and consist of topics selected by the
	commission and the employing entity.
	SECTION 9.  Section 1701.401(c), Occupations Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(c)  The commission shall adopt rules for issuing
	achievement awards to peace officers, reserve peace officers,
	jailers, [or] custodial officers, or telecommunicators who are
	licensed by the commission. The commission's rules shall require
	recommendations from an elected official of this state or a
	political subdivision, an administrator of a law enforcement
	agency, or a person holding a license issued by the commission.
	SECTION 10.  Section 1701.405, Occupations Code, is amended
	by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2)
	to read as follows:
	(b)  This state or a political subdivision of this state may
	not employ a person to act as a telecommunicator unless the person:
	(1)  has had at least 40 hours of telecommunicator
	training as determined by the commission;
	(2)  is at least 18 years of age; [and]
	(3)  holds a high school diploma or high school
	equivalency certificate; and
	(4)  holds a license to act as a telecommunicator or
	agrees to obtain the license not later than the first anniversary of
	the date of employment.
	(b-1)  A person employed to act as a telecommunicator who has
	not obtained a license to act as a telecommunicator under this
	chapter may not continue to act as a telecommunicator after the
	first anniversary of the date of employment unless the person
	obtains the license.
	(b-2)  Notwithstanding this section, an officer is not
	required to obtain a telecommunicator license to act as a
	telecommunicator.
	SECTION 11.  Section 1701.551(a), Occupations Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  A person commits an offense if the person appoints or
	retains another person as an officer, [or] county jailer, or
	telecommunicator in violation of Section 1701.301, 1701.303, [or]
	1701.306, or 1701.405.
	SECTION 12.  (a) Not later than December 31, 2013, the
	Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education shall
	adopt rules, standards, and procedures necessary to implement
	Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, and
	Subsection (b) of this section.
	(b)  Notwithstanding Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, as
	amended by this Act, a person employed as a certified
	telecommunicator on January 1, 2014, is exempt from the
	requirements for an initial telecommunicator license under that
	chapter, and the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards
	and Education shall issue a telecommunicator license to the person
	on receipt of an application showing that the person was employed as
	a certified telecommunicator on that date.
	SECTION 13.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
	this section, this Act takes effect January 1, 2014.
	(b)  Section 12 of this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 1951 was passed by the House on May 8,
	2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 7, 2 present, not
	voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to
	H.B. No. 1951 on May 23, 2013, and requested the appointment of a
	conference committee to consider the differences between the two
	houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report
	on H.B. No. 1951 on May 26, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 109,
	Nays 34, 2 present, not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 1951 was passed by the Senate, with
	amendments, on May 22, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 21, Nays
	10; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
	committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
	that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
	1951 on May 26, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor