By: West  S.B. No. 2583
         (In the Senate - Filed May 12, 2009; May 12, 2009, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
  Relations; May 13, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote:
  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 13, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to coverage under a meet and confer agreement for certain
  municipal firefighters and police officers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 147.002, Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 147.002.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Firefighter" means a firefighter employed by the
  municipality who is covered by the municipality's fire pension plan
  and is classified by the municipality as nonexempt [exempt]. The
  term does not include a firefighter with a rank that is above that
  of battalion chief or section chief.
               (2)  "Firefighter employee group" means an
  organization:
                     (A)  in which, on or before September 1, 2007,
  firefighters of the municipality have participated and paid dues
  via automatic payroll deduction [for at least one year]; and
                     (B)  that exists for the purpose, in whole or in
  part, of dealing with the municipality concerning grievances, labor
  disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions
  of employment affecting firefighters.
               (3)  "Police officer" means a sworn police officer
  employed by the municipality who is covered by the municipality's
  police pension plan and is classified by the municipality as
  nonexempt [exempt]. The term does not include a police officer with
  a rank above that of captain, a civilian, or a municipal marshal.
               (4)  "Police officer employee group" means an
  organization:
                     (A)  in which, on or before September 1, 2007, at
  least three percent of the police officers of the municipality have
  participated and paid dues via automatic payroll deduction [for at
  least one year]; and
                     (B)  that exists for the purpose, in whole or in
  part, of dealing with the municipality concerning grievances, labor
  disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions
  of employment affecting police officers.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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