H.B. No. 1562
 
AN ACT
relating to hours of labor in certain fire departments.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Sections 142.0015(b), (c), (d), and (e), Local
Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
       (b)  A fire fighter or a member of a fire department who
provides emergency medical services, other than the fire chief or
the assistant chief or an equivalent classification [who is not
exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. Section
201 et seq.], and who is required or permitted to work more than the
number of hours that bears the same ratio to 212 hours as the number
of days in the work period bears to 28 days is considered to have
worked overtime. The person is entitled to be compensated for the
overtime as provided by Subsection (e).
       (c)  A member of a fire department who does not fight fires or
provide emergency medical services, including a mechanic, clerk,
investigator, inspector, fire marshal, fire alarm dispatcher, and
maintenance worker, other than the fire chief or the assistant
chief or an equivalent classification [who is not exempt under the
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. section 201 et seq.],
and who is required or permitted to average more hours in a week
than the number of hours in a normal work week of the majority of the
employees of the municipality other than fire fighters, emergency
medical service personnel, and police officers, is considered to
have worked overtime. The person is entitled to be compensated for
the overtime as provided by Subsection (e).
       (d)  In computing the hours worked in a work week or the
average number of hours worked in a work week during a work cycle of
a fire fighter or other member of a fire department covered by this
section [and 29 U.S.C. Section 207(k) and as provided by
Subsections (b) and (c)], all hours are counted during which the
fire fighter or other member of a fire department is required to
remain on call on the employer's premises or so close to the
employer's premises that the person cannot use those hours
effectively for that person's own purposes. Hours in which the fire
fighter or other member of a fire department is required only to
leave a telephone number at which that person may be reached or [is
required] to remain accessible by radio or pager are not counted.
In computing the hours in a work week or the average number of hours
in a work week during a work cycle of a fire fighter or a member of a
fire department who provides emergency medical services, vacation,
sick time, holidays, time in lieu of holidays, or compensatory time
may be excluded as hours worked.
       (e)  A fire fighter or other member of a fire department may
be required or permitted to work overtime. A fire fighter or other
member of a fire department, other than the fire chief or the
assistant chief or an equivalent classification, [who is not exempt
under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. Section 201 et
seq., and] who is required or permitted to work overtime as provided
by Subsections (b) and (c) is entitled to be paid overtime for the
excess hours worked without regard to the number of hours worked in
any one week of the work cycle. Overtime hours are paid at a rate
equal to 1-1/2 times the compensation paid to the fire fighter or
member of the fire department for regular hours.
       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, 2007.
____________________________________________________________
   President of the SenateSpeaker of the House      
       I certify that H.B. No. 1562 was passed by the House on March
22, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House   
       I certify that H.B. No. 1562 was passed by the Senate on May
1, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate    
APPROVED:  _____________________
APPROVED:  _____________________
                   Date          
 
 
          _____________________
                 Governor