By:  Gallegos                                                     S.B. No. 1421


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to eligibility for beginning positions in certain police 
and fire departments.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 143, Section 143.025, 
Local Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (j) to read 
as follows:
	(j)  Notwithstanding Subsection (i), each applicant who is 
either a natural-born or adopted child of a fire fighter who 
previously suffered a line-of-duty death while covered by this 
chapter shall be ranked at the top of any eligibility list in which 
said applicant receives a minimum passing grade on that respective 
eligibility exam.  The deceased fire fighter's applicant child must 
otherwise satisfy all of the requirements for eligibility for a 
beginning position in a fire department contained in this chapter.  
This commission shall promulgate rules to identify and verify each 
applicant's eligibility for applicability of this subsection.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.