By Turner of Harris                             H.B. No. 1454

      75R4350 GJH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the accumulation and valuation of sick leave by certain

 1-3     firefighters and police officers.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 143.116(d) and (e), Local Government

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

 1-7           (d)  Each fire fighter or police officer hired before

 1-8     September 1, 1985, may select coverage under the municipal

 1-9     ordinance governing sick leave benefits and policy for the

1-10     municipal employees who are not subject to this chapter.  This

1-11     option is a onetime only option that expires on December 31 of the

1-12     year in which this section takes effect in that municipality.  A

1-13     fire fighter or police officer who selected coverage under the

1-14     municipal ordinance governing sick leave benefits and policy is

1-15     entitled after August 31, 1997, to accumulate without limit sick

1-16     leave valued at the fire fighter's or police officer's average

1-17     salary in the fiscal year in which the sick leave was accumulated.

1-18     Any accumulated sick leave to which a fire fighter or police

1-19     officer is entitled on August 31, 1997, under the municipal

1-20     ordinance governing sick leave benefits will be retained and

1-21     governed by Subsection (c).

1-22           (e)  The sick leave of a fire fighter or police officer who

1-23     becomes a member of the fire or police department on or after

1-24     September 1, 1985, is covered by the municipal ordinance governing

 2-1     sick leave benefits and policy for the municipal employees who are

 2-2     not subject to this chapter, except that after August 31, 1997, a

 2-3     fire fighter or police officer is entitled to accumulate without

 2-4     limit sick leave valued at the fire fighter's or police officer's

 2-5     average salary in the fiscal year in which the sick leave was

 2-6     accumulated.  Any accumulated sick leave to which a fire fighter or

 2-7     police officer is entitled on August 31, 1997, under the municipal

 2-8     ordinance governing sick leave benefits will be retained and

 2-9     governed by Subsection (c).

2-10           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-11           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.