By: Carona S.B. No. 698

(In the Senate - Filed February 15, 2007; February 28, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; April 18, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 18, 2007, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the adoption of a salary career ladder for parole officers.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 508, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 508.1131 to read as follows:

Sec. 508.1131. SALARY CAREER LADDER FOR PAROLE OFFICERS. (a) The executive director shall adopt a salary career ladder for parole officers. The salary career ladder must base a parole officer's salary on the officer's classification and years of service with the department.

(b) For purposes of the salary schedule, the department shall classify all parole officer positions as Parole Officer I, Parole Officer II, Parole Officer III, Parole Officer IV, or Parole Officer V.

(c) Under the salary career ladder adopted under Subsection (a), a parole officer to whom the schedule applies and who received an overall evaluation of at least satisfactory in the officer's most recent annual evaluation is entitled to an annual salary increase, during each of the officer's first 10 years of service in a designated parole officer classification as described by Subsection (b), equal to one-tenth of the difference between:

(1) the officer's current annual salary; and

(2) the minimum annual salary of a parole officer in the next highest classification.

SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, but not later than the 30th day after that date, the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall adopt a salary career ladder for parole officers as required by Section 508.1131, Government Code, as added by this Act. Beginning the first day of the month following the date on which the executive director adopts the salary career ladder, each parole officer to whom the schedule applies and who received an overall evaluation of at least satisfactory in the officer's most recent annual evaluation is entitled to a salary in an amount that meets or exceeds the amount specified in the schedule for the officer's classification and years of service with the department.

SECTION 3. 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.

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