BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1896

By: Gallegos

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law relating to municipal civil service law for firefighters and police officers provides a comprehensive administrative scheme for municipal firefighters and police officers upon local adoption by voters.  Certain sections of the Local Government Code have provided a four-step grievance procedure for firefighters and police officers in municipalities of 1.5 million or more for the past 24 years. 

S.B. 1896 amends the current law relating to the grievance procedure for firefighters and police officers in a municipality with a population of 1.5 million or more.  

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

S.B. 1896 amends Local Government Code provisions that apply primarily to a municipality with a population of 1.5 million or more that has voted to adopt the municipal civil service law for fire fighters and police officers.  The bill authorizes a fire fighter or police officer to file a grievance that relates to, with certain specified exceptions, any aspect of the fire fighter's or police officer's employment covered by the municipal civil service law for fire fighters and police officers, rather than that relates to the same aspects of the person's employment over which the civil service commission for the employees of the municipality who are not subject to that law would have lawful jurisdiction, including but not limited to a written or oral reprimand, transfers, job performance reviews, and job assignments.  The bill requires a fire fighter or police officer to file a completed Step I grievance form within 30 days after the date the fire fighter or police officer knew or should have known of the action or inaction for which the fire fighter or police officer feels aggrieved occurred, rather than within 30 days after the date of the action or inaction.  The bill amends provisions relating to the Step I and Step II grievance procedures to require a department head, if a supervisor or the department head or the department head's representative, as applicable, does not provide the response required by law before the 16th day after the date a meeting occurs to attempt to resolve a grievance, to sustain the grievance. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.