By Hunter                                             H.B. No. 2511

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2511:

         By Hill                                           C.S.H.B. No. 2511

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to an alternative selection system for filling beginning

 1-3     positions in certain police departments.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 143.025, Local Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by amending Subsections (e) and (h) and adding Subsections

 1-7     (i), (j), and  (k) to read as follows:

 1-8           (e)  Unless the commission has adopted an alternative

 1-9     selection system under Subsection (i) and an applicant is applying

1-10     for the police department, an [An] additional five points shall be

1-11     added to the examination grade of an applicant who served in the

1-12     United States armed forces, received an honorable discharge, and

1-13     made a passing grade on the examination.

1-14           (h)  Unless the commission has adopted an alternative

1-15     selection system under Subsection (i) and an applicant is applying

1-16     for the police department, the [The] grade to be placed on the

1-17     eligibility list for each applicant shall be computed by adding an

1-18     applicant's points under Subsection (e), if any, to the applicant's

1-19     grade on the written examination.  Each applicant's grade on the

1-20     written examination is based on a maximum grade of 100 percent and

1-21     is determined entirely by the correctness of the applicant's

1-22     answers to the questions.  The minimum passing grade on the

1-23     examination is 70 percent.  An applicant must pass the examination

1-24     to be placed on an eligibility list.

 2-1           (i)  The commission may adopt an alternative selection system

 2-2     for filling beginning positions in the police department.  Under an

 2-3     alternative selection system, the grade to be placed on the

 2-4     eligibility list for each applicant to the police department shall

 2-5     be computed by adding an applicant's points under Subsection (j),

 2-6     if any, to the applicant's grade on the written examination.  Each

 2-7     applicant's grade on the written examination is based on a maximum

 2-8     grade of 100 percent and is determined entirely by the correctness

 2-9     of the applicant's answers to the questions.  The minimum passing

2-10     grade on the written examination is 70 percent.  An applicant must

2-11     pass the written examination to be placed on an eligibility list.

2-12           (j)  If the commission adopts an alternative selection system

2-13     under Subsection (i), the commission may adopt rules to award not

2-14     more than 40 total points to the passing examination grade of an

2-15     applicant based on awarding an applicant not more than five points

2-16     for one or more of the following categories:

2-17                 (1)  years of military service, if the applicant

2-18     received an honorable discharge;

2-19                 (2)  years of service as a peace officer while licensed

2-20     by the  Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and

2-21     Education or by an equivalent agency in another state;

2-22                 (3)  number of credits earned in any area of study at

2-23     an accredited college or university;

2-24                 (4)  years of employment, in a position other than a

2-25     classified police officer position, by the municipality in which

2-26     the applicant is applying to become a member of the police

2-27     department;

 3-1                 (5)  the results of an oral interview conducted by an

 3-2     interview board or assessment center and based on predetermined

 3-3     objective criteria;

 3-4                 (6)  the bilingual language proficiency of the

 3-5     applicant;

 3-6                 (7)  whether the applicant is a first generation police

 3-7     officer; and

 3-8                 (8)  the socioeconomic background of the applicant and

 3-9     the applicant's family

3-10           (k)  Under Subsections (j)(1), (2), and (4), the commission

3-11     may award not more than one point for each year of service or

3-12     employment.  If the commission adopts rules under Subsection

3-13     (j)(3), the commission shall establish a schedule that shows the

3-14     number of credits needed to earn one point and the number of

3-15     credits needed to earn each additional point, if any.

3-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

3-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.