78R2835 EMT-F

By:  Whitmire                                                     S.B. No. 1110



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to certain personnel policies of the Texas Department of 
Criminal Justice.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Chapter 492, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Section 492.015 to read as follows:
	Sec. 492.015.  PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND LABOR OVERSIGHT 
COMMITTEE. (a)  The department, in conjunction with the board's 
human resources committee or any committee created by the board to 
carry out the functions of the human resources committee, shall 
review the implementation of and make necessary recommendations for 
rule and policy changes to:
		(1)  career ladders established under Sections 493.007 
and 494.014;  
		(2)  professional development of correctional officers 
and supervisory personnel;
		(3)  labor-management cooperation, recruitment, and 
retention policies; and
		(4)  disciplinary and grievance procedures.                            
	(b)  The department, in conjunction with the board's human 
resources committee or any committee created by the board to carry 
out the functions of the human resources committee, shall submit a  
report biennially to the legislature that includes the matters 
considered under this section.
	SECTION 2.  Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Section 493.026 to read as follows:
	Sec. 493.026.  REPORT OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED GRIEVANCES. (a)  
In this section, "employment-related grievance" means an 
employment-related issue in regard to which an employee wishes to 
express dissatisfaction.
	(b)  The department shall submit annually to the board a 
report on the process used by the department to resolve 
employment-related grievances.  The report must include:
		(1)  the number of grievances filed;                                   
		(2)  a brief description of each grievance filed; and                  
		(3)  the final disposition of each grievance.                          
	SECTION 3.  Chapter 494, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Sections 494.014 and 494.015 to read as follows:
	Sec. 494.014.  PERSONNEL. (a)  The department shall develop 
a career ladder program for the institutional division to retain 
professionally qualified employees.  The program must base 
advancement on the employee's:
		(1)  annual performance evaluations developed under 
Section 493.007; 
		(2)  years of experience in the institutional division; 
and          
		(3)  hours of training completed.                                      
	(b)  The department shall promote a correctional officer 
candidate to the level of Texas Law Enforcement Correctional 
Officer on completion of the hours of training and the years of 
experience required by the department.
	(c)  The department shall:                                              
		(1)  develop training programs necessary to give an 
employee the opportunity for advancement;
		(2)  develop a training program consisting of a 
combination of annual in-service training and specific supervisory 
training and testing to be required for promotion to all 
correctional officer supervisory positions; and
		(3)  allow an employee the opportunity to complete 
available training programs required for advancement.
	Sec. 494.015.  MANAGEMENT-EMPLOYEE MEETINGS. (a)  The 
department shall implement policies mandating bimonthly 
labor-management meetings between:
		(1)  each regional director or assistant regional 
director; and      
		(2)  employees selected by the department or employees 
chosen by employees selected by the department.
	(b)  At each bimonthly labor-management meeting, both 
parties shall have an opportunity to improve labor-management 
relations by addressing issues selected by the parties.
	(c)  At the conclusion of each bimonthly meeting, a regional 
director shall submit a report to the director of the institutional 
division describing the progress of the meetings.
	(d)  The director of the institutional division shall 
conduct statewide meetings with employee representatives.
	SECTION 4.  All employees having met the experience 
qualification required under Section 494.014(b), Government Code, 
as added by this Act, on or before September 1, 2003, shall 
automatically be certified as Texas Law Enforcement Correctional 
Officers.
	SECTION 5.   This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.