HBA-DMD S.B. 1278 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1278
By: Wentworth
State Affairs
5/10/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current Texas law, a state employee who serves as reserve fireman is
entitled to leave with pay to attend firefighter and related training. No
such provision exists for state employees who serve as reserve peace
officers. S.B. 1278 entitles a state employee who serves as a reserve peace
officer to an administrative leave of absence from work, not to exceed 80
hours per year, without loss of compensation or risk of termination for the
hours during which the employee receives necessary peace officer training.
This bill requires an employee to give reasonable advance notice of the
employee's intention to use the administrative leave to attend necessary
peace officer training. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 661, Government Code, by adding
Section 661.152, as follows: 

Sec. 661.152. LEAVE FOR RESERVE PEACE OFFICERS. (a) Sets forth that this
section applies only to a state employee who serves as a reserve peace
officer. 

(b) Entitles a state employee who serves as a reserve peace officer to an
administrative leave of absence from work as a state employee without loss
of compensation or risk of termination for the hours during which the
employee receives necessary peace officer training. Prohibits the amount of
administrative leave taken under this section from exceeding 80 hours in a
state fiscal year. 

(c) Requires an employee to give reasonable advance notice of the
employee's intention to use the administrative leave to attend necessary
peace officer training. 

(d) Requires the state agency that employs a person who requests
administrative leave under this section to verify the person's eligibility
to take the leave. 

Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.