SRC-SEW S.B. 1250 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1250
By: Gallegos
Intergovernmental Relations
4/19/2001
As Filed


DIGEST 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. As
proposed, S.B. 1250 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

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 143.116(d) and (e), Local Government Code, as
follows: 

(d) Provides that a fire fighter or police officer who selected coverage
under the municipal ordinance governing sick leave benefits and policy is
entitled after August 31, 2001, to accumulate without limit sick leave
valued at the fire fighter's or police officer's average salary in the
fiscal year in which the sick leave was accumulated.  Provides that any
accumulated sick leave to which a fire fighter or police officer is
entitled on August 31, 2001, under the municipal ordinance governing sick
leave benefits will be retained and governed by Subsection (c). 

(e) Makes a conforming change regarding the sick leave of a fire fighter or
police officer who becomes a member of the fire or police department on or
after September 1, 1985.   

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.