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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to collective bargaining by law enforcement officers and |
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firefighters. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 174.003, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Subdivisions (1-a), (1-b), and (2-a) and amending |
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Subdivision (3) to read as follows: |
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(1-a) "County jailer" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 1701.001, Occupations Code. |
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(1-b) "Detention officer" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 411.048, Government Code. |
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(2-a) "Peace officer" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 1701.001, Occupations Code. |
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(3) "Police officer" means a paid employee who is |
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sworn, certified, and full-time, and who regularly serves in a |
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professional law enforcement capacity for a law enforcement agency |
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[in the police department] of a political subdivision. The term: |
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(A) includes a peace officer, detention officer, |
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and county jailer; and |
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(B) does not include the chief of the law |
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enforcement agency [department]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 174.023, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 174.023. RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND BARGAIN COLLECTIVELY. |
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(a) Fire [On adoption of this chapter or the law codified by this
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chapter by a political subdivision to which this chapter applies,
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fire] fighters, police officers, or both are entitled to organize |
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and bargain collectively with their public employer regarding |
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compensation, hours, and other conditions of employment. |
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(b) For fire fighters or police officers governed by a state |
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statute under which an association representing fire fighters, |
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police officers, or both, may enter into a meet and confer agreement |
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with a public employer, the association representing the fire |
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fighters, police officers, or both, as applicable, may, on the |
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expiration of a meet and confer agreement, elect at any time to |
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pursue collective bargaining under this chapter, except that if the |
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association enters into a subsequent meet and confer agreement |
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under another statute, the statute authorizing the meet and confer |
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agreement applies during the term of the agreement. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 174, Local Government |
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Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |