(a) A certified crime stoppers organization may establish
Excess Funds Accounts in accordance with §414.010(d) of the Texas
Government Code. At the conclusion of each fiscal year, if the total
amount of funds in the organization's rewards accounts exceeds three
times the average annual amount of funds used by the organization
to pay rewards during each of the three preceding fiscal years, the
organization may deposit such excess amount into its Excess Funds
Accounts.
(b) The Excess Funds Accounts may only be used for
expenditures for law enforcement or public safety purposes directly
related to crime stoppers or juvenile justice, which means:
(1) Costs incurred in providing training to crime stoppers
volunteers, staff, or law enforcement coordinators and travel costs
necessary to complete that training;
(2) Costs associated with supporting volunteers, staff,
or law enforcement coordinators in performing crime stoppers operations;
(3) Juvenile delinquency prevention or intervention
programs;
(4) Promotional or marketing costs encouraging utilization
of crime stoppers tip lines or recruiting volunteers for crime stoppers
organizations; and
(5) Transfers to the crime stoppers assistance account
in the general revenue fund or to other certified crime stoppers organizations,
provided that the transferring certified crime stoppers organization
ensures the receiving certified crime stoppers organization uses such
funds for law enforcement or public safety purposes as described in
this subsection.
(c) Pursuant to §414.010(d) of the Texas Government
Code, a certified crime stoppers organization that deposits funds
in an Excess Funds Account may use any interest earned on the funds
in such account to pay costs incurred in administering the organization.
(d) Among other uses, a certified crime stoppers organization
is not considered to be using its excess funds for a law enforcement
or public safety purpose related to crime stoppers or juvenile justice
if:
(1) It uses such excess funds to pay the salary or
compensation of any public employee;
(2) It uses such excess funds for law enforcement equipment
not directly related to crime stoppers or juvenile delinquency prevention
or intervention purposes;
(3) It pays or reimburses for travel or per diem costs
that exceed those allowed for state officials or employees with its
excess funds; or
(4) It uses such excess funds for a purpose or in a
manner prohibited by federal or state law.
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