SRC-TAG S.B. 804 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center
S.B. 804 
By: Zaffirini
Criminal Justice
6/29/2003
Enrolled

DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Section 180.004, Working Conditions for Pregnant Employees,
Local Government Code, requires that municipalities and counties make a
reasonable accommodation for pregnant peace officers by allowing them to
work in a temporary assignment with duties they can perform; however, this
provision does not apply to commissioned officers of the Department of
Public Safety.  S.B. 804 extends accommodations and temporary work
assignments to pregnant commissioned officers of the Department of Public
Safety.  

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 Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, by adding
Section 411.0079, as follow: 

Sec.  411.0079.  WORKING CONDITIONS FOR CERTAIN PREGNANT OFFICERS. (a)
Requires the director of the  Department of  Public Safety (director) to
make reasonable efforts to accommodate the request of a commissioned
officer of the Department of Public Safety who is determined by a
physician to be partially physically restricted by a pregnancy if the
request is related to the officer's working conditions. 

(b)  Requires the director, if an officer's physician certifies that due
to pregnancy the officer is unable to perform the duties of the officer's
permanent work assignment and a temporary work assignment is available, to
assign the officer to the temporary work assignment, upon request. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2003.