By Lewis of Tarrant                                   H.B. No. 2100
       74R7457 PEP-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the composition of the workforce in certain fire
    1-3  departments.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 143, Local Government Code,
    1-6  is amended by adding Section 143.090 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 143.090.  LOCAL CONTROL OF WORKFORCE COMPOSITION IN
    1-8  CERTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENTS.  (a)  This section applies only to a
    1-9  municipality with a population of 250,000 or more.
   1-10        (b)  A municipality may implement a program to ensure that
   1-11  the composition of the workforce of the paid fire fighters in its
   1-12  fire department reasonably represents the demographic composition
   1-13  of the workforce of the municipality.
   1-14        (c)  The governing body of the municipality shall ensure that
   1-15  the requirements imposed by a program implemented under Subsection
   1-16  (b) are not lower than the requirements set by this chapter for the
   1-17  appointment or promotion of a paid fire fighter.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-23  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-24  passage, and it is so enacted.