By Bailey                                             H.B. No. 1316
         76R5327 BDH-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the accumulation and valuation of sick leave by certain
 1-3     firefighters and police officers.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 143.116(d) and (e), Local Government
 1-6     Code, are amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (d)  Each fire fighter or police officer hired before
 1-8     September 1, 1985, may select coverage under the municipal
 1-9     ordinance governing sick leave benefits and policy for the
1-10     municipal employees who are not subject to this chapter.  This
1-11     option is a onetime only option that expires on December 31 of the
1-12     year in which this section takes effect in that municipality.  A
1-13     fire fighter or police officer who selected coverage under the
1-14     municipal ordinance governing sick leave benefits and policy is
1-15     entitled after August 31, 1999, to accumulate without limit sick
1-16     leave valued at the fire fighter's or police officer's average
1-17     salary in the fiscal year in which the sick leave was accumulated.
1-18     Any accumulated sick leave to which a fire fighter or police
1-19     officer is entitled on August 31, 1999, under the municipal
1-20     ordinance governing sick leave benefits will be retained and
1-21     governed by Subsection (c).
1-22           (e)  The sick leave of a fire fighter or police officer who
1-23     becomes a member of the fire or police department on or after
1-24     September 1, 1985, is covered by the municipal ordinance governing
 2-1     sick leave benefits and policy for the municipal employees who are
 2-2     not subject to this chapter, except that after August 31, 1999, a
 2-3     fire fighter or police officer is entitled to accumulate without
 2-4     limit sick leave valued at the fire fighter's or police officer's
 2-5     average salary in the fiscal year in which the sick leave was
 2-6     accumulated.  Any accumulated sick leave to which a fire fighter or
 2-7     police officer is entitled on August 31, 1999, under the municipal
 2-8     ordinance governing sick leave benefits will be retained and
 2-9     governed by Subsection (c).
2-10           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-11           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.