By Lewis of Tarrant                             H.B. No. 2661

      75R5240 GJH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the composition of the workforce in certain fire

 1-3     departments.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 143, Local Government Code,

 1-6     is amended by adding Section 143.090 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 143.090.  LOCAL CONTROL OF WORKFORCE COMPOSITION IN

 1-8     CERTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENTS.  (a)  This section applies only to a

 1-9     municipality with a population of 250,000 or more.

1-10           (b)  A municipality may implement a program to ensure that

1-11     the composition of the workforce of the paid fire fighters in its

1-12     fire department reasonably represents the demographic composition

1-13     of the workforce of the municipality.

1-14           (c)  The governing body of the municipality shall ensure that

1-15     the requirements imposed by a program implemented under Subsection

1-16     (b) are not lower than the requirements set by this chapter for the

1-17     appointment or promotion of a paid fire fighter.

1-18           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-23     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-24     passage, and it is so enacted.