By Moreno of Harris H.B. No. 2502 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to group and class action grievances for fire fighters and 1-3 police officers of covered fire and police departments. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Local Government Code, is amended 1-6 by adding Section 143.135 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 143.135. GROUP AND CLASS ACTION GRIEVANCES. (a) Fire 1-8 fighters and police officers sharing common concerns may file group 1-9 grievances over any matter grievable under Section 143.127. A 1-10 group grievance filed by employees shall be handled in the same 1-11 manner as an individual grievance. 1-12 (b) A fire fighters' association which represents a majority 1-13 of the paid fire fighters in the municipality may file a group or 1-14 class action grievance on behalf of affected fire fighters 1-15 concerning any matter grievable under Section 143.127. In such 1-16 grievances, a representative designated by the fire fighters' 1-17 association shall act as the grievant. The grievance shall be 1-18 processed in the same manner as individual grievances, except that 1-19 the grievance shall be initiated at Step II. In all such 1-20 grievances, the fire fighters' association shall, to the extent it 1-21 is able, identify all fire fighters affected by the issues raised 2-1 in the grievance. The department head, grievance examiner, or 2-2 civil service commission is authorized to provide appropriate 2-3 relief, including back pay, benefits, and attorney fees, to all 2-4 fire fighters adversely affected by the issues raised in the 2-5 grievance, whether such fire fighters have been identified by the 2-6 fire fighters' association or not. 2-7 (c) A fire fighters' association which represents a majority 2-8 of the paid fire fighters in a municipality may also file group or 2-9 class action grievances concerning alleged violations of any 2-10 written agreement made under Subchapter H. 2-11 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-12 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-17 and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its 2-18 terms, and it is so enacted.