By:  Barrientos                                        S.B. No. 879
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the composition of the workforce in certain fire
    1-2  departments.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 143, Local Government Code,
    1-5  is amended by adding Section 143.090 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 143.090.  LOCAL CONTROL OF WORKFORCE COMPOSITION IN
    1-7  CERTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENTS.  (a)  This section applies only to a
    1-8  municipality with a population of 250,000 or more.
    1-9        (b)  A municipality may implement a program to ensure that
   1-10  the composition of the workforce of the paid fire fighters in its
   1-11  fire department reasonably represents the demographic composition
   1-12  of the residents of the municipality.
   1-13        (c)  The governing body of the municipality and the
   1-14  recognized employee association shall ensure that the requirements
   1-15  imposed by a program implemented under Subsection (b) are not lower
   1-16  than the requirements set by this chapter for the appointment or
   1-17  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.