By Hinojosa H.B. No. 3492
77R4570 YDB-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the promotion process for police officers in certain
1-3 municipalities.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 143.033, Local Government Code, is amended
1-6 by amending Subsections (c) and (d) and adding Subsection (e) to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 (c) In the police department, one point shall be deducted
1-9 from the promotional candidate's grade for each complaint sustained
1-10 against the police officer by the department that does not concern
1-11 the officer's discretionary judgment in the enforcement of a
1-12 traffic law, except that five points shall be deducted from the
1-13 candidate's grade for each allegation sustained against the
1-14 candidate by the department for using excessive force, perjury,
1-15 other job-related lying, spousal abuse, or wilful tampering with
1-16 evidence. A maximum of 20 points may be deducted from a
1-17 candidate's grade based on sustained complaints.
1-18 (d) Unless a different procedure is adopted under an
1-19 alternate promotional system as provided by Section 143.035, the
1-20 grade that must be placed on the eligibility list for each police
1-21 officer or fire fighter shall be computed by adding the applicant's
1-22 points for seniority to the applicant's grade on the written
1-23 examination and, for a police officer, subtracting points in
1-24 accordance with Subsection (c) for complaints sustained against the
2-1 applicant. Each applicant's grade on the written examination is
2-2 based on a maximum grade of 100 points and is determined entirely
2-3 by the correctness of the applicant's answers to the questions.
2-4 The passing score in a municipality with a population of 1.5
2-5 million or more is prescribed by Section 143.108. In a municipality
2-6 with a population of less than 1.5 million, all applicants who
2-7 receive a grade of at least 70 points shall be determined to have
2-8 passed the examination. If a tie score occurs, the commission
2-9 shall determine a method to break the tie.
2-10 (e) [(d)] Within 24 hours after a promotional examination is
2-11 held, the commission shall post the individual raw test scores on a
2-12 bulletin board located in the main lobby of the city hall.
2-13 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and the
2-14 change in law made by this Act applies only to an eligibility list
2-15 created on or after that date.