HB 4257

relating to United States citizenship requirements for the
licensing and employment of peace officers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 1701.3091 to read as follows:
Sec. 1701.3091.  CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR PEACE OFFICER
LICENSE APPLICANT.  (a)  Except as provided by Section 1701.3095,
the commission shall require a person applying for a peace officer
license or the renewal of a peace officer license to provide proof
(b)  A person who satisfies the requirements of Subsection
(a) is not required to submit evidence of the person's United States
citizenship for the subsequent renewal of the person's peace
SECTION 2.  Section 1701.451(a), Occupations Code, is
(a)  Before a law enforcement agency may hire a person
licensed under this chapter, the agency must, on a form and in the
manner prescribed by the commission:
(1)  obtain the person's written consent for the agency
to review the information required to be reviewed under this
(2)  request from the commission and any other
applicable person information required to be reviewed under this
(3)  submit to the commission confirmation that the
agency, before hiring the person:
(i)  of the person's United States
(ii)  if the person is not a United States
(a)  is a legal permanent resident of
(b)  is an honorably discharged
veteran of the armed forces of the United States with at least two
years of service before discharge; and
(c)  has applied for United States
(B)  to the best of the agency's ability [before
(i) [(A)]  contacted each entity or
individual necessary to obtain the information required to be
reviewed under this section; and
(ii) [(B)]  except as provided by Subsection
(b), obtained and reviewed as related to the person, as applicable:
described by Section 1701.4535, and other employee records from
each previous law enforcement agency employer, including the
employment application submitted to the previous employer;
(b) [(ii)]  employment termination
reports and misconduct investigation reports maintained by the
commission under this subchapter;
(d) [(iv)]  proof that the person
meets the minimum qualifications for enrollment in a training
program under Section 1701.251(a);
(e) [(v)]  a military veteran's United
States Department of Defense Form DD-214 or other military
(f) [(vi)]  criminal history record
(g) [(vii)]  information on pending
warrants as available through the Texas Crime Information Center
and National Crime Information Center;
(h) [(viii)]  evidence of financial
responsibility as required by Section 601.051, Transportation
(i) [(ix)]  a driving record from the
(j)  [(x)  proof of United States
citizenship or, if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of
the armed forces of the United States with at least two years of
service before discharge, proof of legal permanent residence and
proof that the person has applied for United States citizenship;
[(xi)]  information on the person's
background from at least three personal references and at least two
(k) [(xii)]  information on the
person's law enforcement background as available through a database
designated by the commission under Section 1701.169 and, if
applicable, a file or record obtained by the commission under
SECTION 3.  (a)  Section 1701.3091, Occupations Code, as
added by this Act, applies only to an application for the issuance
or renewal of a peace officer license submitted on or after the
effective date of this Act.  An application submitted before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
date the application was submitted, and the former law is continued
(b)  The changes in law made by this Act to Section 1701.451,
Occupations Code, apply only to a law enforcement agency that seeks
to hire a person licensed under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, on
or after the effective date of this Act.  The hiring of a person by a
law enforcement agency before that date is governed by the law in
effect on the hiring date, and the former law is continued in effect
SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect July 1, 2025, if it
receives a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house,
as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for effect on that date,
this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.