SRC-JJJ C.S.S.B. 1806 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 1806
By: Bernsen
Intergovernmental Relations
5/5/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST 

Currently, municipalities are not required to provide counseling services
to public safety employees who have been exposed to an emergency scene or
incident involving the death or serious injury of another person to whom
the public employee is providing service in the performance of the
employee's official duties.  C.S.S.B. 1806 would establish provisions
regarding critical incident stress debriefings of public safety employees. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.S.B. 1806 establishes provisions regarding critical
incident stress debriefings of public safety employees. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 180, Local Government Code, by adding Subsection
180.004, to define "public safety employee," and "Critical Incident Stress
Management."  Requires a municipality to provide counseling services by
trained Critical Incident Stress personnel to an employee, upon request by
an affected public safety employee, if the employee is exposed to an
emergency scene or incident involving the death or serious injury of
another person to whom the public safety employee is providing service in
the performance of the employee's official duties. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

SECTION 1.

Amends Subsection 180.004, Local Government Code, by adding a new
Subsection (b), to define "Critical Incident Stress Management."  Requires
certain counseling services to be provided by trained Critical Incident
Stress personnel.  Redesignates proposed Subsection (b) as proposed
Subsection (c).