Bill Sponsors / Authors:

  Rep. Hubert Vo
  D - Houston

  Sen. Carol Alvarado
  D - Houston

 

Supporting Documents / Links:

•   Lobby Contracts – Government Relations website
•   Chief Finner Supporting HB 1152
  March 14, 2023
•   Assistant Chief Jessica Anderson Support HB 1152
  March 14, 2023
•   Assistant Chief Jessica Anderson Support SB 252
  April 3, 2023
•   2019 Legislative Report: Unfinished Business HB 1091
•   2021 Legislative Report: Unfinished Business HB 1157

Senate Bill 252 - Legal Permanent Residents as Law Enforcement

Some Texas cities, including Houston, are experiencing shortages of peace officers. In Houston, the nation’s most diverse city, the need is especially great for officers that speak multiple languages and come from different backgrounds.

For the past 2 sessions, the City of Houston as pushed for a change in state law that would open the door for Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) to serve in local law enforcement.

One argument strengthening the case was that LPRs can and regularly do serve in the United States Armed Forces. Given that LPRs serve our county, why not the local community?

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner stated in written testimony:

“Veterans tend to understand service to a greater cause and that sense of purpose should be fostered when they get home. They understand unit cohesion, have a servant’s heart, and understand basic things like chain of command.

There are lots of reasons why people do not want to become police officers in the current climate, so we should encourage those that do. Anyone eligible to defend the country should be eligible to serve their communities by keeping the streets safe. Senate Bill 252 will allow us to access a diverse, hardworking, and patriotic pool.”

Senate Bill 252 by Senator Carol Alvarado allows by making honorably discharged veterans who are permanent U.S. residents eligible for employment as peace officers.

The bill amends the Local Government Code to authorize a city that commissions and employs peace officers to hire legal permanent residents of the United States who are honorably discharged veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Additionally, it amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to issue a peace officer license to a person who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, if the person meets applicable statutory and TCOLE rule requirements and is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. armed forces and is also pursuing US citizenship.