BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1742 By: Gutierrez 4-26-95 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND A county civil service system is a locally appointed board that controls civil service in a county. Public employees must vote to establish such a system. If the system is established, all action concerning civil service employees must then go before the board. These actions include pay-raises, termination, and the like. The employee will gain some leverage by having the right to be formally heard before the board concerning such matters. Currently, public employees in counties with populations of less than 290,000 do not have the right to a direct petition to hold an election to establish a civil service system. They must petition through the court of the county commissioner. Because the county commissioner in these counties currently makes all decisions relating to public employment, it is very difficult for the public employees to obtain the right to set up a board which will take those powers away from the county commissioner. PURPOSE This bill would give public employees in counties with a population of less than 290,000 the right to a direct petition to hold an election to establish a county civil service system. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 158.0065(a), Local Government Code, to read: (a) This section applies only to [in] a county [with a population of 290,000 or more] that would not be eligible to expand or dissolve the system under Section 158.007. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee amendment #1 states that this section applies to counties with a population of 200,000 or more. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION HB 1742 was considered by the County Affairs Committee in a public hearing on 3/22/95. The following people testified for HB 1742: Dale Curfman, representing himself; and Charley Wilkison, representing himself. HB 1742 was left pending. HB 1742 was considered by the County Affairs Committee in a public hearing on 4/26/95. The committee considered one committee amendment. The amendment was adopted without objection. HB 1742 was reported favorably, as amended, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, by the record vote of 5 ayes, 3 nays, 0 pnv, 1 absent.