By Turner of Harris                             H.B. No. 1089

      75R4023 MRB-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the promotional system used in certain police

 1-3     departments.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 143.035(b) and (f), Local Government

 1-6     Code, are amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (b)  After the commission receives a [On the] recommendation

 1-8     for an alternate promotional system from [of] the head of the

 1-9     police  department or receives a petition that recommends an

1-10     alternate promotional system and that is signed by at least 20

1-11     percent of the sworn police officers in the department and after an

1-12     election is held and the issue is approved at the election as

1-13     provided by this section [a majority vote of the sworn police

1-14     officers in the department], the commission may adopt an alternate

1-15     promotional system to select persons to occupy nonentry level

1-16     positions other than positions that are filled by appointment by

1-17     the department head.  The promotional system must be a system

1-18     recommended as provided by this subsection and must comply with the

1-19     requirements  prescribed by this section.

1-20           (f)  The revised promotional system must be approved by a

1-21     simple majority vote of the sworn police officers who vote in  the

1-22     election at which the issue is submitted to a vote [voting].  A

1-23     defeated promotional system amendment may not be placed on a ballot

1-24     for a vote by the sworn police officers for at least 12 months

 2-1     after the date the prior election was held, but this provision does

 2-2     not apply if the head of the department recommends a different

 2-3     proposal to the commission.

 2-4           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-10     passage, and it is so enacted.