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.