SB2332

Regular Session

Relating to aircraft owned and operated by the Department of Public Safety.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Department of Public Safety

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: September 1, 2025
*Note:* While the law is effective on this date, businesses should anticipate "stop-work" orders and contract termination notices regarding maintenance and staffing as early as Q2 2025 to align with the state’s fiscal year transition.
Agency Rulemaking: DPS is not explicitly required to create new administrative rules, but will likely issue internal procurement directives to facilitate the transfer of assets and records. Monitor the Texas Register in early 2025 for any definitions regarding "primary maintenance" scope.

Immediate Action Plan

1. Audit Contracts: Immediately review termination-for-convenience clauses in all DPS contracts to determine notice periods.
2. Freeze Long-Term Procurement: Do not purchase inventory specifically for DPS fleet support beyond Q2 2025 requirements.
3. Prepare Records: Audit all maintenance logs for DPS aircraft currently in your care to ensure they are audit-ready for transfer.
4. Assess Insurance: Contact your broker to adjust hangar keepers’ liability and general aviation policies effective September 1, 2025, to reflect the reduced fleet exposure.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Termination Preparation: Review all Master Service Agreements (MSAs) with DPS. Expect termination notices under "convenience of the state" clauses prior to September 1, 2025.
Pilot Agreements Voided: Section 2205.0331(c) legally requires pilots to be DPS employees. Any existing independent contractor agreements or staffing agency contracts for DPS pilots will be legally unenforceable on the effective date.
Supply Chain Adjustments: The state anticipates saving $500,000 annually by eliminating vendor markups on parts. Parts suppliers must prepare for DPS to bypass third-party MROs and procure directly from OEMs or distributors.

Hiring/Training

Workforce Retention: DPS has been funded to hire 11 Aircraft Mechanics and 2 Program Analysts. If you currently employ mechanics servicing DPS aircraft, they are prime targets for state recruitment. Review your non-compete agreements, though enforceability against state hiring is limited.
Liability Tail: Ensure your "products-completed operations" insurance coverage extends beyond the contract termination date to cover liability for maintenance performed prior to the handover.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Chain of Custody: You must prepare comprehensive transfer packages for all aircraft logbooks (airframe, engine, propeller). Incomplete records will delay final invoice payments.
Work Order Closure: All open maintenance tickets must be resolved and closed out before the effective date. The state will likely refuse payment for work extending past August 31, 2025.

Fees & Costs

Revenue Impact: The Legislative Budget Board projects a direct loss of $2.7 million per year to the private sector in outsourced labor fees.
Inventory Liquidation: Vendors holding consignment stock for DPS aircraft should initiate discussions to sell this inventory to the Department or liquidate it before the contract expires.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Scope of "Primary Responsibility": The law assigns "primary" maintenance responsibility to DPS, but does not define the threshold. It is operationally improbable that DPS can insource heavy maintenance (C and D checks) or specialized avionics work immediately. Specialized MROs should watch for solicitations regarding "overflow" or "heavy" maintenance that falls outside the state's internal capacity.
Leased vs. Owned Assets: The pilot employment mandate applies to aircraft DPS "owns and operates." The status of leased aircraft remains undefined. If DPS utilizes leased aircraft, private pilot contracting may still be permissible, pending agency legal interpretation.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsState Agencies, Boards & Commissions Transportation Transportation--aviation Public Safety, Department of

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2332
89R16302 LRM-D	By: Parker
	Border Security
	4/8/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) regularly employs aircraft to carry out critical law enforcement and public safety missions across Texas. Under current law, although DPS manages its fleet to some extent, statutory provisions regarding the location of DPS-owned aircraft, the primary responsibility for their upkeep and scheduling, and pilot requirements remain dispersed. This can lead to inefficiencies and excess cost in the deployment of aircraft to regions where they are most needed.

S.B. 2332 seeks to address these gaps by explicitly designating DPS as the primary authority to maintain and schedule its aircraft, ensuring uniform oversight and management of the DPS fleet. By authorizing DPS to base its aircraft wherever necessary and requiring that each pilot be a DPS employee, the bill aims to reduce operational costs and bolster the state's rapid-response capabilities.

As proposed, S.B. 2332 amends current law relating to aircraft owned and operated by the Department of Public Safety.

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 2205.031(a), Government Code, to create an exception under Section 2205.0331.

SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 2205, Government Code, by adding Section 2205.0331, as follows:

Sec. 2205.0331.� DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AIRCRAFT.� (a) Provides that the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) is primarily responsible for maintaining and scheduling aircraft the department owns and operates.

(b) Requires DPS to base department aircraft at locations throughout this state as it considers necessary.

SECTION 3.� Effective date: September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Tan ParkerRepublican · Primary Author

House Sponsor

Rep. Cole HefnerRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 2332

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to aircraft owned and operated by the Department of Public
	Safety.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 2205.031(a), Government Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(a) This chapter applies to all aircraft owned or leased by
	the state, except as provided by Sections [~~Section~~] 2205.033 and
	2205.0331.
	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 2205, Government Code, is
	amended by adding Section 2205.0331 to read as follows:
	Sec. 2205.0331. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AIRCRAFT. (a)
	The Department of Public Safety is primarily responsible for
	maintaining and scheduling aircraft the Department of Public Safety
	owns and operates.
	(b) The Department of Public Safety shall base Department of
	Public Safety aircraft at locations throughout this state as the
	Department of Public Safety considers necessary.
	(c) A pilot of an aircraft the Department of Public Safety
	owns and operates must be an employee of the Department of Public
	Safety.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 9, 2025

TO:	Honorable Brian Birdwell, Chair, Senate Committee on Border Security

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB2332 by Parker (Relating to aircraft owned and operated by the Department of Public Safety.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB2332, As Introduced: a positive impact of $2,373,946 through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2026	$854,000
2027	$1,519,946
2028	$1,519,946
2029	$1,519,946
2030	$1,519,946

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable (Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1	Probable Savings from General Revenue Fund 1	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2025
2026	($2,346,000)	$3,200,000	13.0
2027	($1,680,054)	$3,200,000	13.0
2028	($1,680,054)	$3,200,000	13.0
2029	($1,680,054)	$3,200,000	13.0
2030	($1,680,054)	$3,200,000	13.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would direct the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to be primarily responsible for maintaining and scheduling certain aircraft. The bill would also direct DPS to base aircraft throughout the state and direct the use of certain aircraft pilots.

Methodology

This analysis assumes that DPS would be primarily responsible for maintaining and scheduling aircraft owned and operated by DPS. According to DPS, the agency would require 11.0 Aircraft Mechanic II, based on the the total man hours for Federal Aviation Administration aircraft mechanics from fiscal year 2024. Additionally, DPS states that 2.0 Program Analyst V would be needed to support the additional full-time equivalent positions.

This analysis includes $1,332,920 in fiscal year 2026 and $1,332,920 in fiscal year 2027 for salary and benefits. Other costs including consumables supplies, travel, rent, other operating expenses, and capital expenditures would total $1,013,080 in fiscal year 2026 and $347,134 in fiscal year 2027. According to DPS, this cost is offset by an estimated savings of $2.7 million in out-sourced labor costs per fiscal year. Additionally, DPS anticipates an additional savings of $0.5 million per fiscal year due to a reduced markup on parts and a current DPS contract for a 10 percent discount on parts.

It is assumed that there would be no significant fiscal impact to the Department of Transportation.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

405 Department of Public Safety, 601 Department of Transportation

LBB Staff:

JMc, MGol, CSh, KVEL

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB2332

What does Texas SB2332 do?

SB2332 mandates the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to insource all pilot staffing and assume primary responsibility for aviation maintenance, effectively ending reliance on private contractors for these core functions. Aviation service providers, staffing agencies, and MROs currently contracting with DPS must prepare for the termination of service agreements and a projected $2. 7 million annual reduction in outsourced state spending.

Who authored SB2332?

SB2332 was authored by Texas Senator Tan Parker during the Regular Session.

When was SB2332 signed into law?

SB2332 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 30, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB2332?

SB2332 is enforced by Department of Public Safety.

How urgent is compliance with SB2332?

The compliance urgency for SB2332 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB2332?

The cost impact of SB2332 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB2332 address?

SB2332 addresses topics including state agencies, boards & commissions, transportation, transportation--aviation and public safety, department of.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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