By: Garza H.B. No. 3551
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to positions that are exempt from a sheriff's department
  civil service system in certain counties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 158.038, Local Government Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The sheriff of a county with a population of 3.3 million
  or less to which Subsection (b-1) does not apply may designate as
  exempt from the civil service system:
               (1)  the position of chief deputy;
               (2)  four positions of major deputy;
               (3)  one or more positions in the office of
  departmental legal counsel; and
               (4)  additional positions in the department; provided,
  however, that the sheriff may not designate as exempt a total of
  more than 10 positions.
         (b-1)  The sheriff of a county with a population of more than
  1.5 million in which more than 75 percent of the population lives in
  a single municipality may designate a total of 12 or fewer positions
  in the sheriff's department as exempt from the civil service
  system, including:
               (1)  the position of chief deputy;
               (2)  four or fewer positions of major deputy; and
               (3)  one or more positions in the office of
  departmental legal counsel.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.