HBA-MPM H.B. 1530 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1530 By: Bailey Urban Affairs 3/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, certain firefighters and police officers hired prior to September 1, 1985 were given a one-time option to accumulate sick leave credit under the provisions for municipal civil service or the city's municipal ordinance governing sick leave policy and benefits. Unlike coverage under the provisions for municipal civil service, the municipal sick leave policy did not provide unlimited sick leave accumulation. Firefighters and officers hired after September 1, 1985 were not eligible to choose coverage under the provisions for municipal civil service. House Bill 1530 entitles firefighters and police officers in a municipality with a population of 1.5 million or more to accumulate unlimited sick leave valued at their average salary in the year the leave was accumulated, regardless of their hire date, for purposes of determining payment due upon termination of service. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 1530 amends the Local Government Code to entitle a firefighter or police officer in a municipality with a population of 1.5 million or more who was hired prior to September 1, 1985 and who selected coverage under the municipal ordinance governing sick leave benefits and policy to accumulate unlimited sick leave after August 31, 2001 that is valued at the firefighter's or officer's average salary in the fiscal year the leave was accumulated. A police officer or a firefighter who became a member on or after September 1, 1985 is entitled to accumulate unlimited sick leave after August 31, 2001 that is valued at the firefighter's or officer's average salary in the fiscal year the leave was accumulated. The bill provides that any accumulated sick leave to which a firefighter or police officer is entitled on August 31, 2001 under the municipal ordinance governing sick leave benefits will be retained and governed by the "first in, first out" accounting principle. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.