BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2508

By: Castro

County Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The sheriff's civil service commission in Bexar County was established in 1983 for the purpose of developing and enforcing rules regarding the selection and employment of employees of the sheriff's office. The commission is composed of three members selected by the district attorney's office, the sheriff, and the commissioner's court of Bexar County. However, sheriff department employees have no direct representation on the commission.

As stated in the preamble to the rules of the Bexar County sheriff's civil service commission, the commission rules aim to promote an equitable personnel system within the sheriff's office. Allowing the employees of the sheriff's department to have direct representation on the civil service commission will further the goal of creating an equitable personnel system.

C.S.H.B. 2508 requires the employee organization representing the majority of sheriff department employees in a county with a population of one million or more in which more than 80 percent of the population resides in a single municipality to appoint two persons to serve as members of the civil service commission that administers the sheriff's department civil service system in addition to the appointments by the sheriff, commissioners court, and district attorney.

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. 2508 amends the Local Government Code to require the employee organization representing the majority of sheriff department employees in a county with a population of one million or more in which more than 80 percent of the population resides in a single municipality to appoint two persons to serve as members of the civil service commission that administers the sheriff's department civil service system in addition to the appointments by the sheriff, commissioners court, and district attorney.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2508 differs from the original by making the employee organization appointment provisions of the bill applicable in a county with a population of one million or more in which more than 80 percent of the population resides in a single municipality, rather than in a county with a population of one million or more that adopted the Fire and Police Employee Relations Act after January 1, 2004.

C.S.H.B. 2508 omits a provision included in the original providing for employee organization appointment of civil service commission members that apply to a certain other counties with a population of 2.8 million or more.  The substitute omits a provision in the original limiting commission members to two terms.

C. S. H. B. 2508 omits a subchapter included in the original that creates a sheriff's department civil service system in counties with a population of one million that adopted the Fire and Police Employee Relations Act and counties with a population of 2.8 million or more.

C.S.H.B. 2508 omits provisions included in the original repealing Sections 158.035(c) and 158.0351, Local Government Code, to conform to the addition of the subchapter.