1. (a) Each agency that appoints or employs peace officers, reserve law enforcement officers, county jailers, or public security officers shall provide each peace officer, reserve law enforcement officer, county jailer, or public security officer it appoints or employs a continuing education program at least once every 24 months.

2. (b) The commission shall develop curricula with learning objectives for the statutorily required continuing education programs that include the following topics:

   1. (1) civil rights, racial sensitivity, and cultural diversity;
   2. (2) the recognition and documentation of cases that involve child abuse, child neglect, family violence, sexual assault, and issues concerning sex offender characteristics; and
   3. (3) supervision.
3. (c) The required continuing education program for peace officers shall consist of 40 hours of training. The required program as outlined in subsection (b) of this section shall contain no more than 20 hours of curricula and learning objectives. The remaining hours may consist of additional objectives and materials selected or developed by the appointing or employing agency. The additional topic or topics selected by the agency should be consistent with the peace officer's assigned duties. This rule does not limit the number of hours of continuing education an agency may provide to each peace officer, reserve law enforcement officer, county jailer, or public security officer it appoints or employs.

4. (d) As part of the 20 hours of required training which must include the curricula and learning objectives developed by the commission:

   1. (1) each peace officer, reserve law enforcement officer, county jailer, or public security officer shall complete the course of training developed by the commission in civil rights, racial sensitivity, and cultural diversity during each 24-month period;
   2. (2) each peace officer shall complete the course of training developed by the commission in the recognition and documentation of cases that involve child abuse, child neglect, family violence, sexual assault, and issues concerning sex offender characteristics during each 24-month period. If an agency chief administrator determines these subjects to be inconsistent with the peace officer's assigned duties, the chief administrator may substitute other training determined to be consistent with the officer's assigned duties; or
   3. (3) each constable and deputy constable shall also complete a 20-hour course of training in civil process during each 24-month period. The commission may waive the requirement for civil process training if the constable requests a waiver, by written certification, because of hardship and the commission determines that a hardship exists; and
   4. (4) each peace officer appointed to their first supervisory position must complete the course of training developed by the commission in supervision as part of the required training within 24 months following the date of appointment as a supervisor.
5. (e) The commission shall provide notice to agencies and officers of impending non-compliance with the continuing education requirements. Such notice will be provided not later than six months prior to the expiration of the 24-month period.
6. (f) The commission may suspend a peace officer's license for failure to complete the required continuing education program at least once every 24 months.
7. (g) Each peace officer who is currently licensed and reported to the commission as appointed or employed by an agency on or before September 1, 1995, shall complete the continuing education program required under this section before September 1, 1997. Any officer licensed or appointed after September 1, 1995, shall have 24 calendar months from the date of initial licensing to complete the continuing education program required under this section.
8. (h) Subsequent 24-month periods for continuing education shall begin on the last day of the prior period and end 24 months thereafter.
9. (i) The effective date of this section is April 15, 1996.

Source Note:The provisions of this §217.9 adopted to be effective April 15, 1996, 21 TexReg 2552.