By:  Montford                                         S.B. No. 1253
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to fire and police civil service.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Subsections (b), (c), and (d), Section 143.025,
    1-4  Local Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
    1-5        (b)  An eligibility list for a beginning position in the fire
    1-6  or police department may be created only as a result of a
    1-7  competitive examination where more than one applicant is present
    1-8  <held in the presence of each applicant for the position>.  The
    1-9  examination must be based on the person's knowledge of and
   1-10  qualifications for fire fighting and work in the fire department or
   1-11  for police work and work in the police department and must inquire
   1-12  into the applicant's general education and mental ability.  A
   1-13  person may not be appointed to the fire or police department except
   1-14  as a result of the examination.
   1-15        (c)  An applicant may <not> take an examination only where
   1-16  more than one applicant <unless at least one other applicant taking
   1-17  the examination> is present.
   1-18        (d)  Examinations for beginning positions in the fire or
   1-19  police department may be held at different locations if each
   1-20  applicant takes the same examination and more than one applicant
   1-21  for the position is present <is examined in the presence of other
   1-22  applicants>.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-5  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-6  passage, and it is so enacted.