LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 22, 2007

TO:	Honorable Kevin Bailey, Chair, House Committee on Urban Affairs
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB1636 by Menendez (Relating to conditions of employment for certain peace officers.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would add Section 142.069 to Subchapter B, Chapter 142 of the Local Government Code to authorize a peace officers association representing peace officers from a municipal department other than the police department, to petition the municipality to grant recognition to the association as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all peace officers employed in that department, excluding the head of the department. The municipality could grant recognition without conducting an election by the voters of the municipality, defer granting recognition and order an election, or order a certification election to determine whether the association represents a majority of the affected peace officers.

If recognition is granted, the municipality may not be denied local control over wages, salaries, rates of pay, hours of work, or other terms and conditions of employment to the extent the public employer and the recognized peace officers association agree as provided by Subchapter B.

The bill would take effect September 1, 2007.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated for the procedures related to recognizing an association for the purposes of meet and confer. It is assumed that if a municipality were to choose to hold an election, the costs of the election could be absorbed within the municipality's existing budget. Results of meet and confer agreements would vary by municipality depending on what agreements are reached.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, DB