SRC-JEC S.B. 1714 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1714
77R6197 ATP-FBy: Van de Putte
Intergovernmental Relations
4/19/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, it is difficult for peace officers and firefighters to
participate in the legislative process because of leave procedures.  As
proposed, S.B. 1714 establishes a legislative leave time bank to allow
peace officers and firefighters to participate in the legislative process. 

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 Chapter 614A, Government Code, by adding Section
614.011, as follows: 

Sec. 614.011.  LEGISLATIVE LEAVE TIME BANK.  (a) Authorizes a peace officer
or firefighter to donate not more than one hour for each month of
accumulated vacation or compensatory time in increments of one-quarter hour
to the legislative leave time bank (time bank) of an employee organization.
Requires the employer to establish and maintain a time bank for each
employee organization. 

(b) Requires the peace officer or firefighter to authorize the donation in
writing on a form provided by the employee organization and approved by the
employer.  Requires the employer, after receiving the signed authorization
on an approved form, to transfer donated time to the time bank monthly
until the employer receives the peace officer's or firefighter's written
revocation of the authorization. 

(c) Authorizes only a peace officer or firefighter who is a member of an
employee organization to use for legislative leave purposes the time
donated to the time bank of that employee organization.  Authorizes a peace
officer or firefighter to use for legislative leave purposes the time
donated under this section instead of reimbursing the employer under
Section 614.005. 

(d) Requires a request to use for legislative leave purposes the time in an
employee organization's time bank to be in writing and submitted to the
employer by the appropriate officer of the employee organization. 

(e) Provides that a time bank authorized by this section is perpetual.
Provides that unused time donated to a time bank carries over from year to
year until used by the employee organization. 

(f) Requires the employer to account for the time donated to and used from
the time bank.  Authorizes the employer to determine and credit and debit
the time bank by the donated time's actual cash value, or credit and debit
a time bank on an hour-for-hour basis regardless of the cash value of the
time donated or used. 
 
SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.