Dallas oversight office briefs board on 2025 Texas legislation affecting policing, including less-lethal statute effective Sept. 1

The Office of Community Police Oversight (OCPO) briefed the board on legislative developments from the 2025 Texas Legislature that have implications for the Dallas Police Department and local oversight.

Key bills briefed on June 10: - Senate Bill 2570: Establishes a statutory legal justification for use of certain "less-lethal" weapons by peace officers and correctional facility guards when used within the scope of official duties, and ties justification to a reasonable belief the force is necessary and substantial compliance with training. OCPO noted DPD may need to revise use-of-force, crowd-control and training policies to align with the statute. SB 2570 becomes effective Sept. 1, 2025. - Senate Bill 1637: Creates a statutory exemption in a deadly-conduct context for peace officers acting in the course of official duties; OCPO said DPD will need to reconcile state statutory language with departmental policy and internal review procedures. Effective Sept. 1, 2025. - Senate Bill 8: Directs certain sheriffs to pursue agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and establishes a grant program to offset implementation costs; OCPO noted the bill does not directly change DPD authority but could increase immigration detentions at the county-jail level and urged community outreach about possible local impacts. SB 8 takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.

OCPO tracked 13 bills of potential interest in the session; several bills did not pass (including measures that would have created or expanded municipal civilian review powers and mandatory disclosures for law-enforcement personnel files). OCPO said it submitted proposed amendments to SB781 and SB2570 during the session and worked with legislative staff to convey board concerns.

What the office recommends: OCPO advised DPD and the board to plan policy updates and training for the statutes effective Sept. 1, and to conduct proactive community education about SB 8’s implications once the sheriff and county actions are clarified. OCPO also recommended continued legislative monitoring and stakeholder outreach to mitigate public-trust and fiscal-liability risks tied to implementation of new statutes.

Ending note: OCPO will return with implementation plans and timelines and requested board input on outreach priorities related to these laws.