BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1486

By: Gerdes

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 87th Texas Legislature enacted legislation requiring each law enforcement agency in Texas to develop and adopt a mental health leave policy for peace officers who experience a traumatic event while on duty. However, the legislature did not include telecommunicators among the officers required to be covered by these policies, despite the fact that telecommunicators also experience traumatic events. H.B. 1486 seeks to remedy this situation by requiring each law enforcement agency in Texas that employs full-time telecommunicators to develop and adopt a mental health leave policy for the telecommunicators who experience a traumatic event while on duty.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1486 amends the Government Code to require each state agency or a political subdivision that employs a full-time telecommunicator to develop and adopt a policy allowing full-time telecommunicators who experience a traumatic event in the scope of that employment to use mental health leave. The bill subjects a telecommunicator leave policy to the requirements and content provisions of a mental health leave policy adopted by a law enforcement agency for peace officers.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.