By Talton                                       H.B. No. 2443

      75R7471 GJH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to classification and appointment of firefighters and

 1-3     police officers in certain municipalities.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 143.035(b), Local Government Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (b)  After considering any alternate promotional system

 1-8     recommended by [On the recommendation of] the head of the police

 1-9     department or [and] a majority vote of the sworn police officers in

1-10     the department, the commission may adopt an alternate promotional

1-11     system to select persons to occupy nonentry level positions other

1-12     than positions that are filled by appointment by the department

1-13     head.  The promotional system must comply with the requirements

1-14     prescribed by this section.

1-15           SECTION 2.  Section 143.027(a), Local Government Code, is

1-16     amended to read as follows:

1-17           (a)  A person appointed to a beginning position in the fire

1-18     or police department must serve a probationary period of one year

1-19     beginning on that person's date of employment as a fire fighter,

1-20     police officer, or academy trainee or an alternative period as

1-21     adopted by the commission.

1-22           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-23           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

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

 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.