Sec. 96.641. INITIAL TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR POLICE CHIEFS AND COMMAND STAFF. (a) The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas shall establish and offer a program of initial training and a program of continuing education for police chiefs. The curriculum for each program must relate to law enforcement management issues. The institute shall develop the curriculum for the programs. The curriculum must be approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

(a-1) The institute may establish and offer a continuing education program for command staff for individuals who are second in command to police chiefs. The command staff continuing education program must satisfy the requirements for the police chief continuing education program under Subsection (a).

(b) Each police chief must receive at least 40 hours of continuing education provided by the institute under this section each 24-month period. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement by rule shall establish a uniform 24-month continuing education training period.

(c) An individual appointed or elected to that individual's first position as chief must receive not fewer than 80 hours of initial training for new chiefs in accordance with Subsections (d) and (e).

(d) A newly appointed or elected police chief shall complete the initial training program for new chiefs not later than the second anniversary of that individual's appointment or election as chief. The initial training program for new chiefs is in addition to the initial training and continuing education required by Chapter 1701, Occupations Code. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement by rule shall establish that the first continuing education training period for an individual under Subsection (b) begins on the first day of the first uniform continuing education training period that follows the date the individual completed the initial training program.

(e) The institute by rule may provide for the waiver of:

(1) the requirement of all or part of the 80 hours of initial training for new chiefs to the extent the new chief has satisfactorily completed equivalent training in the 24 months preceding the individual's appointment or election; or

(2) the continuing education requirements of Subsection (b) for an individual who has satisfactorily completed equivalent continuing education in the preceding 24 months.

(f) An individual who is subject to the continuing education requirements of Subsection (b) is exempt from other continuing education requirements under Subchapter H, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code.

(g) In this section, "police chief" or "chief" means the head of a police department.

(h) The chief of a municipal police department must be licensed as a peace officer by the commission no later than one year after the date that the chief is appointed to the position of police chief. The commission shall establish requirements for licensing and for revocation, suspension, cancellation, or denial of peace officer license for a police chief.

(i) A police chief who does not comply with this section cannot continue to be the chief.

(j) As part of the initial training and continuing education for police chiefs required under this section, the institute shall establish a program on asset forfeiture under Chapter 59, Code of Criminal Procedure. The program must include an examination of the best practices for educating peace officers about asset forfeiture and monitoring peace officers' compliance with laws relating to asset forfeiture.

(k) As part of the initial training and continuing education for police chiefs required under this section, the institute shall establish a program on racial profiling. The program must include an examination of the best practices for:

(1) monitoring peace officers' compliance with laws and internal agency policies relating to racial profiling;

(2) implementing laws and internal agency policies relating to preventing racial profiling; and

(3) analyzing and reporting collected information.

(l) As part of the initial training and continuing education for police chiefs required under this section, the institute shall establish a program on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairments. The program must include an examination of the best practices for:

(1) monitoring peace officers' compliance with internal agency policies relating to de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairments; and

(2) implementing internal agency policies relating to those techniques.

(m) A police chief may not satisfy the requirements of Subsection (l) by taking an online course on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairments.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 770, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 929, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 947, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 14.740, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1275, Sec. 2(47), eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 393 (S.B. 1473), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2005.

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 278 (H.B. 486), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 602 (S.B. 244), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 602 (S.B. 244), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 93 (S.B. 686), Sec. 2.16, eff. May 18, 2013.