BILL ANALYSIS
| Senate Research Center | S.B. 1858 |
| 89R3004 AMF-D | By: Hagenbuch |
| | Criminal Justice |
| | 4/25/2025 |
| | As Filed |
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
S.B. 1858 aims to amend the eligibility criteria for the Bulletproof Vest and Body Armor Grant Program to include independent school districts (ISDs) as eligible applicants. This change addresses a growing concern regarding the safety of school-based law enforcement officers, particularly school resource officers (SROs), who are tasked with ensuring the safety of students, staff, and school communities. As active participants in maintaining order and addressing security threats in schools, SROs face heightened risks in an environment that increasingly faces violent threats. This bill ensures that ISDs can receive funding to equip their officers with the necessary protective gear, specifically bulletproof vests and body armor, to safeguard their well-being while carrying out their duties.
Currently, the Bulletproof Vest and Body Armor Grant Program is designed to provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies, helping them purchase and equip officers with vital protective gear. However, the existing law does not explicitly extend eligibility for this grant program to independent school districts, even though school-based law enforcement plays a crucial role in student and community safety. While some ISDs may allocate their own funding for such equipment, many smaller or underfunded districts may struggle to secure the necessary resources to adequately protect their officers.
S.B. 1858 differs from current law by directly addressing the gap in coverage for school law enforcement officers and ensuring they have access to the same protective gear as other law enforcement agencies. The expanded eligibility will empower school districts to safeguard their officers, which in turn promotes safer school environments and allows officers to focus on their primary responsibilities without the added risk of being unprotected in dangerous situations.
As proposed, S.B. 1858 amends current law relating to eligibility for the bulletproof vest and body armor grant program.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 772.0075(a), Government Code, as follows:
(a) Provides that in Section 772.0075 (Bulletproof Vest and Body Armor Grant Program), "law enforcement agency" means an agency of the state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state authorized by law to employ peace officers, including an independent school district. Makes a nonsubstantive change.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.
