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Committee backs pay-classification change for Texas Commission on Law Enforcement staff
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Summary
Lawmakers voted to move TCOLE peace-officer positions to a higher Schedule C pay classification to improve recruitment and retention for investigative and field-service roles; the measure was reported favorably to the Senate.
The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice advanced Senate Bill 13 21, a measure to change pay classifications for certain peace officers employed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), after invited testimony from agency leaders.
Sponsor Senator Haginbu said the change would put TCOLE investigators and field-service peace officers on a Schedule C pay scale consistent with investigators at other state agencies, improving recruitment and retention. Jason Hester and Greg Stevens of TCOLE told the committee their agency employs roughly 25 peace officers whose duties require prior law-enforcement experience and that those positions have been difficult to fill at current salary levels.
"We have actually lost some of our investigators at TCO to these other state agencies," Hester said, adding the reclassification would help the commission retain experienced investigators. Executive Director Greg Stevens told senators that the agency often must recruit retired officers and that raising pay classification would broaden the applicant pool.
Committee members recorded a roll-call vote of six ayes and zero nays and reported the bill favorably to the full Senate.
Witnesses said the change does not modify retirement classification or add custodial retirement benefits; it is limited to pay schedule reclassification aimed at retention.
The committee closed public testimony after no members of the public requested to speak.
