By:  Barrientos                                                   S.B. No. 1673


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of a sheriff's department civil service 
system in certain counties.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 158, Local Government 
Code, is amended by adding Section 158.0025 to read as follows:
	Sec. 158.0025.  CREATION OF SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT CIVIL 
SERVICE SYSTEM IN CERTAIN COUNTIES NOT COVERED BY SUBCHAPTER B.  
(a)  This section applies only to a county with a population of 
200,000 or more, other than:
		(1)  a county that has created a civil service system 
under this subchapter to include those employees of the county 
described by Section 158.002; or
		(2)  a county in which the sheriff's department is 
eligible to create a civil service system under Subchapter B.
	(b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, 
the commissioners court of a county to which this section applies 
may create a civil service system under this section to include only 
the employees of the sheriff's department of the county.
	(c)  A sheriff's department civil service system may be 
created under this section by an order in accordance with Section 
158.003 or by an election in accordance with Section 158.004.
	(d)  Notwithstanding Section 158.005(b), if an election is 
ordered under Section 158.004 on the question of the creation of a 
sheriff's department civil service system under this section, the 
commissioners court shall order the ballot at the election to be 
printed to provide voting for or against the proposition:  
"Creation of a civil service system for the sheriff's department of 
the county."
	(e)  Notwithstanding Section 158.014(c), if an election is 
called to determine whether a sheriff's department civil service 
system created under this section will be dissolved under that 
section, the commissioners court shall order the ballot at the 
election to be printed to provide voting for or against the 
proposition:  "Dissolution of the civil service system for the 
sheriff's department of the county."
	(f)  Sections 158.0065 and 158.007 do not apply to a 
sheriff's department civil service system created under this 
section.
	(g)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, the 
provisions of this subchapter that would govern the operation of a 
civil service system created for all employees of a county under 
this chapter apply to the operation of a civil service system 
created for the employees of the sheriff's department of a county 
under this section.
	SECTION 2.  The heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 158, Local 
Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER B.  SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM IN CERTAIN 
COUNTIES
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.