1-1 By: Capelo (Senate Sponsor - Bernsen) H.B. No. 3603
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 2, 2001;
1-3 May 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 10, 2001, reported favorably by
1-5 the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 10, 2001, sent to
1-6 printer.)
1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-8 AN ACT
1-9 relating to the paid leave and the return to duty for certain
1-10 municipal peace officers and firefighters in certain circumstances.
1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12 SECTION 1. Section 143.073(b), Local Government Code, is
1-13 amended to read as follows:
1-14 (b) At the end of the one-year period, the municipality's
1-15 governing body may extend the line of duty illness or injury leave
1-16 at full or reduced pay. If the fire fighter's or police officer's
1-17 leave is not extended or the person's salary is reduced below 60
1-18 percent of the person's regular monthly salary, and the person is a
1-19 member of a [municipality has a fire fighter's or police officer's]
1-20 pension fund, the person may retire on pension until able to return
1-21 to duty.
1-22 SECTION 2. Section 143.074, Local Government Code, is amended
1-23 to read as follows:
1-24 Sec. 143.074. REAPPOINTMENT AFTER RECOVERY FROM DISABILITY.
1-25 With the commission's approval and if otherwise qualified, a fire
1-26 fighter or police officer who has been certified by a physician
1-27 selected by a pension [fire fighters' or police officers' relief or
1-28 retirement] fund as having recovered from a disability for which
1-29 the person has been receiving a monthly disability pension is
1-30 eligible for reappointment to the classified position that the
1-31 person held on the date the person qualified for the monthly
1-32 disability pension.
1-33 SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-34 (b) The change in law made by this Act to Section
1-35 143.073(b), Local Government Code, applies to a leave of absence
1-36 that begins or is in progress on or after the effective date of
1-37 this Act.
1-38 * * * * *