BILL ANALYSIS
By: Raymond
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, counties with populations of 200,000 or more may create a county civil service system to include employees of the county. Recently, Webb County created a civil service commission; however, census data from years past renders the county ineligible to adopt a civil service system under current law.
C.S.H.B. 831 would address this by lowering the population requirement to establish a civil service system. This would allow Webb County and similarly populous counties to be eligible to create a civil service system.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 831 lowers the population requirement to establish a civil service system to 190,000 and thus allows additional counties to adopt a civil service system for county employees in accordance with the Local Government Code. The bill also clarifies that sheriff's department is included in the definition of "Department", thus specifying them eligible for a civil service system.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute specifies that the term "Department" in Section 158.001(3), Local Government Code, includes a sheriff's department.