81(R) HB 3158 - Introduced version

TO:	Honorable Garnet Coleman, Chair, House Committee on County Affairs

FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB3158 by Bolton (Relating to the accumulation and payment of sick leave for employees in certain sheriff's departments.), As Introduced

The bill would amend Subchapter B, Chapter 158, Local Government Code, to stipluate that in a county that has adopted Chapter 158 and to which Subchapter B applies, an employee of the sheriff's office in classified service may accumulate sick leave without limit and if the employee leaves the classified service for any reason would be entitled to a lump sum payment of the employee's salary for accumulated sick leave up to 720 hours.

Subchapter B applies to a county with a population of 190,000 or more.

Harris County reports that at the end of calendar year 2008, there were 3,921 employees who would be eligible for sick leave pay upon leaving classified service, at an average cost of $219 per hour based on current pay rates. If 8 percent of the eligible employees were to leave and the average employee has 100 hours of unused sick leave at an average rate of $225 (using the formula in the bill), the sheriff's office would incur costs of $7.1 million in fiscal year 2010. Calculating for the number of eligible employees over the period of fiscal years 2011 through 2014, the cost would be $8.1 to $8.3 million per year.

Dallas County estimates provisions of the bill would result in a cost of $12.8 million each fiscal year above the costs currently incurred for paying for unused sick leave under existing policies.

The Travis County Sheriff's Office estimates the increase in costs from existing policies to the proposed requirement would be almost $9.1 million per year.

The negative fiscal impact would vary by county, but it is anticipate the impact would be significant.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 6, 2009