BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1913
79R6321 KEG-F By: Olivo (Barrientos)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, civil service is available only to those municipalities with a population of 10,000 or more that have both a paid fire department and a paid police department. Once a city meets those requirements for eligibility, the voters must petition for an election and approve civil service before it would apply to that municipality.
However, there are a number of cities with a population of 10,000 or more that have only a paid police department because the fire department is made up of volunteers. Therefore, the police officers in these cities with volunteer fire departments are not eligible for civil service.
H.B. 1913 changes current law by stating that municipalities with a population or 10,000 or more that have either a paid police department or a paid fire department are eligible for civil service. This bill does not change the election requirements stated above.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 143.002, Local Government Code, to provide that this chapter applies only to certain municipalities that have either a paid fire department or police department, rather than both a paid fire department and police department.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.