BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                     H.B. 2498

80R8261 HLT-D                                                                By: Gonzalez Toureilles et al. (Zaffirini)

                                                                                                                                   Criminal Justice

                                                                                                                                            5/16/2007

                                                                                                                                           Engrossed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Many feel that correctional officers employed by the state do not receive enough compensation for working in situations requiring their involvement with potentially dangerous offenders.  Often, the amount of compensation the state does offer is not enough to retain quality correctional officers.

 

H.B. 2498 increases the amount of hazardous duty pay that a full-time correctional officer employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice may receive from $10 to $12 for each 12-month period of lifetime service credit accrued by the employee, unless the amount exceeds $300.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 659.305, Government Code, by amending Subsections (a), (d), (e), (f), and (g) and adding Subsection (h), as follows:

 

(a) Creates an exception provided by Subsection (h), in addition to Subsection (b), to determine the amount of a full-time state employee's hazardous duty pay for a particular month.

 

(d) Requires the number of 12-month periods of lifetime service credit that the employee has accrued to be determined as of the last day of the preceding month for the purposes of Subsection (h), in addition to Subsections (a)(1) and (b)(2).

 

(e) Provides that a state employee is considered to be a full-time state employee for purposes of Subsection (a), (b), or (h) if the employee if a full-time state employee for any portion of the first workday of the month.

 

(f) Provides that the amount of a part-time state employee's hazardous duty pay is proportional to the amount of a full-time state employee's pay under Subsection (a), (b), or (h).

 

(g) Prohibits a state employee from receiving more than $10 or $12, as applicable, for each 12-month period of lifetime service credit, regardless of the number of positions the employee holds or the number of hours the employee works each week.

 

(h) Provides that the amount of hazardous duty pay for a particular month for a full-time correctional officer employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is the lesser of $12 for each 12-month period of lifetime service credit accrued by the employee or $300.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2007.