Texas advisory committee moves to tighten standards for training coordinators, creates subcommittee to draft required course

A Texas Commission on Law Enforcement advisory committee voted Monday to delineate higher minimum standards for people who serve as training coordinators over licensing courses such as the Basic Peace Officer Course and to require background screening and a mandatory training coordinator course for appointment.

The action came after hours of debate over whether the state should require training coordinators to meet the same eligibility criteria as peace-officer licensees, how to treat civilian coordinators, and what continuing education should be required. "We were deliberate in not only who to sit on the committee, but what you represent," Director Steven(s) said, explaining the commission's intent to use advisory committees to develop model policies for statewide rulemaking.

The committee's vote approving the motion to separate standards was followed by another vote to create a small subcommittee charged with drafting the required training course and lesson plan. "We're going to take what you all do and go down the road to improve training," Scott Donaldson, the committee's presiding officer and director, said during the meeting.

Why it matters: the committee is drafting recommended changes that, if forwarded to and adopted by the commission, would change who can serve as the named training coordinator for academies and contract training providers across Texas. Training coordinators are the named points of contact TCOLE uses to monitor academy compliance, maintain student records and rosters, and report licensing outcomes; the committee said those responsibilities have carried legal and operational obligations that sometimes outstrip current minimums.

What the committee agreed and debated

- Category split: The committee approved a motion to "delineate" between coordinators who oversee any licensing course (for example, Basic Peace Officer Course, jailer or telecommunicator licensing) and training coordinators for other contract training providers. The committee said coordinators for licensing courses will face higher eligibility expectations than coordinators who only oversee non‑licensing, continuing‑education offerings.

- Eligibility and background checks: Members discussed mirroring existing licensing eligibility standards in Rule 217 (for example, minimum age, education and criminal-disqualifier provisions) for coordinators who oversee licensing courses. Several members urged mandatory fingerprint‑based criminal-history checks and use of the same disqualifiers applied to license applicants. "If you look at 215.9(a), a training coordinator must hold a valid instructor license or certificate and must be a full time paid employee of that training provider, period. All stop," a staff member said while reviewing existing language the committee is considering.

- Civilian coordinators and scope: Members debated whether civilian coordinators (for example, at colleges, councils of governments or private providers) should be eligible to serve as a licensing-course coordinator. Some committee members said experienced civilians can run high‑quality programs; others said coordinators who oversee BPOC should have law‑enforcement experience or be eligible for licensure because they must evaluate students against performance standards that mimic on‑duty tasks.

- Mandatory training for coordinators: The committee endorsed requiring a new training coordinator course and discussed giving new appointees a limited window to complete it (committee members suggested six months as one option). The committee voted to form a subcommittee to draft a curriculum and lesson plan for that course.

- Continuing education and accountability: Members discussed annual conference attendance for coordinators and recurring continuing‑education requirements. The committee also emphasized enforcement tools available to the commission, including administrative penalties, contract sanctions and action on instructor certificates, not just license revocation.

Direct quotes (from meeting transcript)

- "We approached the commission ... they thought it was a great idea," Director Steven(s) said, describing why the commission authorized multiple advisory committees.

- "We were deliberate in not only who to sit on the committee, but what you represent," Scott Donaldson said, arguing for broad representation on the committee.

- "If you look at 215.9(a) ... a training coordinator must hold a valid instructor license or certificate and must be a full time paid employee of that training provider, period. All stop," a staff member (Colin) said while reading current rule language.

- "I just don't wanna add something, you know, if you're a small department ... we're struggling to keep up with the mandates that are already here," Sheriff Jack Curry said, describing small‑agency workload concerns.

- "If you're a training coordinator, you ought to be held to that same standard that the rest of us are," a staff member (Colin) said when explaining enforcement tools such as administrative penalties and contract actions.

Decisions, votes and next steps

- The committee approved a motion to delineate standards between coordinators who oversee licensing courses and coordinators for other contract training providers (voice vote; outcome recorded as carried). The committee asked staff to draft language that ties licensing‑course coordinator eligibility to the type of license taught (for example, BPOC requirements for a BPOC coordinator).

- The committee approved a motion to create a subcommittee to draft the training coordinator lesson plan and curriculum. The presiding officer will appoint the subcommittee; members were invited to volunteer by email.

- The committee directed staff to produce a draft rule and circulate it before the next meeting. A meeting date was set for February 10 at 1:00 p.m. (local time) to review the draft and the proposed coordinator course; members discussed meeting in person with hybrid access for those who cannot attend.

What's next: the subcommittee will draft the coordinator training curriculum and staff will prepare a proposed rule text that the advisory committee will review at the next meeting; the committee will then forward a recommendation to the full commission for any rulemaking.

Ending: Committee members repeatedly framed the work as an effort to raise consistent statewide expectations while trying to avoid imposing impractical burdens on small agencies. As Scott Donaldson put it, the committee's goal is "to improve training, not just basic training, but training at large for Texas law enforcement."