By:  Gallegos                                          H.B. No. 822
       73R4016 MLR-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to municipal civil service.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 143.002, Local Government Code, is
    1-5  amended to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 143.002.  Municipalities Covered by Chapter.  This
    1-7  chapter applies only to a municipality that:
    1-8              (1)  has a population of 10,000 or more;
    1-9              (2)  has a paid fire department or <and> police
   1-10  department; and
   1-11              (3)  has voted to adopt this chapter or the law
   1-12  codified by this chapter.
   1-13        SECTION 2.  Section 143.004(c), Local Government Code, is
   1-14  amended to read as follows:
   1-15        (c)  The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or
   1-16  against the proposition:  "Adoption of the fire fighters' and
   1-17  police officers' civil service law."  However, this chapter may be
   1-18  adopted to apply only to the paid fire or the paid police
   1-19  department, and in that case, the ballot shall be printed to
   1-20  reflect the department that would be covered by this chapter.  If a
   1-21  majority of the votes received in the election are in favor of
   1-22  adoption of this chapter, the governing body shall implement this
   1-23  chapter.
   1-24        SECTION 3.  Section 143.023(c), Local Government Code, is
    2-1  amended to read as follows:
    2-2        (c)  A person who is 45 years of age or older may not be
    2-3  certified for a beginning position in a police department in a
    2-4  municipality that has a population of 50,000 or more.  A person who
    2-5  is 36 years of age or older and under 45 may not be certified as
    2-6  eligible for a beginning position in a police department in a
    2-7  municipality that has a population of 50,000 or more unless the
    2-8  person has at least five years' experience as a peace officer or at
    2-9  least five years of military experience.
   2-10        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-11  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-12  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-13  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-14  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-15  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-16  passage, and it is so enacted.