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 Legislative
report: Legislative Day
By Walt Roberts
ASSIST EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
What a success! Each session this event gets better and more successful. From
our legislative team Keith Oakley, George Craig, Alan Trevino, Bob Burt and myself, thanks! I believe we made a huge impact on our state representatives and
senators. We had a great turnout at the reception that evening and State Representative Alan Fletcher was there. State Representative Rafael Anchia’s staff were also in attendance.
 
Now the stuff you don’t want to hear! Senate Bill 809 sponsored by Senator Whitmire from Houston, as written to date,
would allow felons to work in our profession five years after conviction. That’s right, after conviction. So if they get a 10-year sentence and apply while inside, they could have a card before they get out. We are working with multiple senators to fix this, but freshman Senator Wendy Davis from Fort Worth is leading the fight. That’s Kathy McReynolds senator. Thank you Kathy!
House Bill 2730, (DPS Sunset Bill) sponsored by State Representative Kolkhorst from Brenham. As written now, it’s
not a good bill for the security
profession. It wants to put us under Chapter 53 of the occupations code, which emphasizes the language in Whitmires bill.
It will not allow us to work noncommissioned officers prior to receiving their card from the state and will really hurt our business as a
whole.
Chairman John Chism, Commissioner Mark Smith and former Chairman of the DPS/PSB George Craig, have meetings with the sponsor of this bill and the Sunset Staff trying to make our points. Good luck and godspeed.
Additionally, we were told that former Law Enforcement Committee Chairman Joe Driver will submit an amendment from the floor that will allow jailers to be exempt from Occupations Code 1702 for off duty
jobs.
The second worst thing regarding House Bill 1846, our lien bill sponsored by State Representative Lucio from Brownsville, is it’s stuck in committee. If we can’t get it out in a week or so, it’s dead. We have other bills pending in committee but the one’s I have mention are the bills that will make the most impact on the security profession throughout Texas.
People ask Keith Oakley and I about the bills we file and how to get legislation changed. It’s really done at a grass roots level.
Lucio filed our lien bill, Davis is leading our fight against Whitmire’s bill and the list goes
on.
This is a important session. We have filed what I feel is the largest economic impact bill ever for our profession, but yet it’s stuck in committee because we as a group have no one on that committee that can help us. You want something to pass or get done, get involved!
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