1-1  By:  Montford                                         S.B. No. 1253
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 1995; March 16, 1995, read
    1-3  first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
    1-4  Relations; May 10, 1995, reported adversely, with favorable
    1-5  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0;
    1-6  May 10, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-7  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1253                   By:  Ellis
    1-8                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-9                                AN ACT
   1-10  relating to police and fire civil service.
   1-11        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-12        SECTION 1.  Subsections (b), (c), and (d), Section 143.025,
   1-13  Local Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
   1-14        (b)  An eligibility list for a beginning position in the fire
   1-15  or police department may be created only as a result of a
   1-16  competitive examination where more than one applicant is present
   1-17  <held in the presence of each applicant for the position>.  The
   1-18  examination must be based on the person's knowledge of and
   1-19  qualifications for fire fighting and work in the fire department or
   1-20  for police work and work in the police department and must inquire
   1-21  into the applicant's general education and mental ability.  A
   1-22  person may not be appointed to the fire or police department except
   1-23  as a result of the examination.
   1-24        (c)  An applicant may <not> take an examination only where
   1-25  more than one applicant <unless at least one other applicant taking
   1-26  the examination> is present.
   1-27        (d)  Examinations for beginning positions in the fire or
   1-28  police department may be held at different locations if each
   1-29  applicant takes the same examination and more than one applicant
   1-30  for the position is present <is examined in the presence of other
   1-31  applicants>.  If multiple test sites are used, the municipality
   1-32  must:
   1-33              (1)  administer the examinations on the same date and
   1-34  at approximately the same time;
   1-35              (2)  hold at least one of the examinations within the
   1-36  boundaries of the municipality; and
   1-37              (3)  consolidate the test scores from all of the sites
   1-38  into one eligibility list.
   1-39        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-40  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-41  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-42  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-43  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-44  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-45  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-46                               * * * * *