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


Senate Research Center   S.B. 804
78R4858 KEG-FBy: Zaffirini
Criminal Justice
4/1/2003
As Filed


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.  As proposed, 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 Chapter 411A, 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.