BILL ANALYSIS


                                                         S.B. 861
                                                        By: Ellis
                                      Intergovernmental Relations
                                                           4-6-95
                                     Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND

Under current law, the Harris County Sheriff's Department, which
employs approximately 3200 people, may not allow officers of its
employee organization the liberty of taking a leave of absence to
attend schools, conventions, or meetings to secure a more efficient
department and better working conditions for its members and still
maintain employee status, other than during legislative sessions.

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 861 authorizes leaves of absence for certain
deputy sheriffs under certain conditions.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 85A, Local Government Code, by adding
Section 85.007, as follows:

     Sec. 85.007.  LEAVES OF ABSENCE FOR CERTAIN DEPUTY SHERIFFS. 
     (a)  Provides that this section applies only to a sheriff's
     department in a county with a population of 2.8 million or
     more.
     
     (b)  Prohibits a deputy sheriff from being refused, on
       application, a reasonable leave of absence to attend a
       police school, convention, or meeting for the purpose of
       securing a more efficient department and better working
       conditions for department personnel, if a sufficient number
       of deputy sheriffs of the same rank are available to carry
       out the normal functions of the sheriff's department.
       
       (c)  Authorizes another deputy of equal rank to volunteer to
       exchange time of work with the applicant, if a sheriff
       determines that granting a leave will result in having an
       insufficient number of deputies of the same rank to carry
       out the normal functions of the department, if overtime does
       not result.
       
       (d)  Requires the sheriff to allow a volunteer to work for
       the applicant and grant the leave, if overtime will not
       result and if the volunteer work will result in having a
       sufficient number of employees.
       
       (e)  Authorizes a volunteer to receive cash from or on
       behalf of the deputy taking leave in lieu of an exchange of
       time of work, at the option of the deputies.
       
       (f)  Provides that leave under this section is not a break
       in service for any purpose and is treated as any other paid
       leave.
       
       (g)  Authorizes a sheriff to grant a deputy paid leave under
       this section.
       
       SECTION 2.   Effective date:  September 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.