The Texas Education Agency sent out materials to school districts regarding proper interactions and expectations for encounters between peace officers and citizens. The materials are part of a larger set of actions required under Texas Senate Bill 30, which passed during the 2017 session in hopes of addressing increasing public concerns regarding deadly encounters between police officers and civilians in recent years. Specifically, the State Board of Education, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and Texas Education Agency were required to work together to establish instruction on proper interaction with peace officers during traffic stops and other in-person encounters. Students in grades 9-12, new drivers, and peace officers must receive the training on officer-citizen interaction, including:

  • The role of law enforcement and the duties and responsibilities of peace officers;
  • A person’s rights concerning interactions with peace officers;
  • Proper behavior for civilians and peace officers during interactions;
  • Laws regarding questioning and detention by peace officers, including any law requiring a person to present proof of identity to a peace officer, and the consequences for a person’s or officer’s failure to comply with those laws; and
  • How and where to file a complaint against or a compliment on behalf of a peace officer.

The materials provided by TEA include a 16-minute video entitled Flashing Lights: Creating Safe Interactions between Citizens and Law Enforcement, as well as written materials with best practices, guiding questions, and a quiz based upon the content of the video. Subjects in the materials include expectations on treatment by police officers during traffic stops, such as providing identifying information, pat-down searches, videotaping of interactions with police, and exiting the vehicle during a stop.

The instructional requirement applies to any student who enters the ninth grade in the 2018-2019 school year and thereafter, and transcripts must clearly reflect that the student completed the required instruction on proper interaction with police officers. Additionally, peace officers must complete the civilian interaction training program not later than the second anniversary of the date the officer is licensed, unless the officer completes the program as part of the officer’s basic training course. School districts and open-enrollment charter schools are allowed to tailor the instruction as appropriate for the district’s or school’s community, but must solicit input from local law enforcement agencies, driver training schools, and the community.

 As always, if you have any questions regarding the implementation of the requirements of Senate Bill 30, new instructional materials provided by TEA, or anything else regarding school safety and law enforcement, please contact your district’s counsel.

Prepared by the offices of Richard Abernathy, this article should not be construed as legal advice related to any specific facts or circumstances. Although this article covers legal subjects, it is intended to educate readers and not to provide advice that will be the basis for action or inaction in any specific circumstance. Viewing these materials does not create an attorney-client relationship between Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd & Hullett, P.C. and the reader or the reader’s institution. For circumstance-specific legal advice, please directly contact a licensed attorney.