BWH C.S.H.B. 704 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS COUNTY AFFAIRS C.S.H.B. 704 By: Lewis, Ron 4-2-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Under current law, sheriff's department officers in counties with populations of 30,000 or more have access to the people regarding their pay benefits. When seeking a raise, they have the opportunity to approach the commissioner's court. The commissioner's court can either agree to the request, make a counter offer, or reject the request. Upon rejection, the people can petition the court for a pay referendum. There is an injustice being done to those officers who do not work in counties with populations of at least 30,000. PURPOSE The purpose of this bill is to decrease the population requirement for petitioning for a pay referendum from 30,000 to 25,000. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 152.072 of the Local Government Code as follows: 1) Subsection (a) states that the people within a county of 25,000, rather than 30,000, can petition the commissioner's court to increase the salary of sheriff's department members; 2) Subsection (d) adds a provision which only allows the election to take place on a uniform election date on which other issues or offices are also scheduled; 3) Subsection (e) requires the ballot language provide the amount of the pay increase; and 4) Subsection (f) provides for the effective date of the pay increase. SECTION 2. Emergency Clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute amends SECTION 1 of the original by amending Subsections (d)-(f) as follows: 1) Amends Subsection 152.072(d) to require the election take place only if other offices or issues are also on the ballot for consideration; 2) Amends Subsection 152.072(e) to require the ballot language include the cost of the pay raise on tax payers; and 3) Amends Subsection 152.072(f) to provide for the effective date of the pay increase.