SRC-MSY S.B. 1029 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1029 78R5614 KSD-FBy: Gallegos State Affairs 3/25/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Current law allows members of peace officer associations to take legislative leave when attending to matters on behalf of the association before the legislature, and to be reimbursed by the association for any expenses. Such members still must take vacation time to attend to such matters, however. As proposed, S.B. 1029 allows members of a peace officer association to donate vacation time, on a voluntary basis, to a time bank so that authorized association members may attend to association business without using their own vacation time. 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 180, Local Government Code, by adding Section 180.005, as follows: Sec. 180.005. BUSINESS LEAVE TIME ACCOUNT FOR PEACE OFFICERS IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES. (a) Provides that this section applies only to a peace officer employed by a county or municipality of a certain size, except as provided by Subsection (b), (b) Provides that this section does not apply to a peace officer employed by certain municipalities. (c) Defines "business leave" and "peace officer" for the purposes of this section. (d) Prohibits a peace officer from donating more than two hours each month of accumulated vacation or compensatory time to the business leave time account of an employee organization. Requires the municipality or county to establish and maintain a business leave time account for each employee organization. (e) Requires the peace officer to authorize the donation in writing on a form provided by the employee organization and approved by the municipality or county. Requires the municipality or county, after receiving the signed authorization on an approved form, to transfer donated time to the account monthly until the municipality or county receives the peace officer's written revocation of the authorization. (f) Provides that only a peace officer who is a member of an employee organization may use the time donated to the account of that employee organization. Authorizes a peace officer to use the time donated under this section without receiving a reduction in salary and without reimbursing the municipality or county. (g) Requires a request to use the time in an employee organization's time account to be in writing and submitted to the municipality or county by the president or the equivalent officer of the employee organization or by that officer's designee. (h) Requires the municipality or county to grant a request for business leave that complies with Subsection (g) unless certain conditions exist. (i) Requires the municipality or county to account for the time donated to the account and used from the account. Requires the municipality or county to credit and debit the account on an hour-for-hour basis regardless of the cash value of the time donated or used. (j) Prohibits an employee organization from using more than 4,000 hours for business leave purposes from its business leave time account under this section in a calendar year. Provides that this subsection does not prevent an employee organization from accumulating more than 4,000 hours. (k) Authorizes a peace officer to use business leave under this section for legislative leave purposes in lieu of following the procedures prescribed by certain law, or to take legislative leave under Subchapter A, Chapter 614, Government Code, or another applicable legislative leave statute. (l) Provides that the use of business leave by a peace officer under this section is not a break in service for any purpose and is treated as any other paid leave. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2003.