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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to differential pay and benefits for certain employees of |
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emergency services districts who are members of the military. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 431, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 431.019 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 431.019. DIFFERENTIAL PAY AND BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES |
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OF EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS. (a) Except as provided by |
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Subsection (b), a person who is an officer or employee of an |
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emergency services district and who is a member of the state |
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military forces or a reserve component of the state or federal armed |
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forces may be provided differential pay, provided that the |
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governing body of the district, in its sole discretion, votes to |
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provide such differential pay and the employee's military pay is |
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less than the employee's gross pay from the emergency services |
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district, through a policy covering all similarly situated |
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employees. The combination of differential pay and military pay |
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may not exceed the employee's actual gross pay from the emergency |
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services district. |
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(b) For purposes of Subsection (a), military pay does not |
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include money the employee receives: |
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(1) for service in a combat zone; |
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(2) as hardship pay; or |
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(3) for being separated from the employee's family. |
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(c) The differential pay provided by Subsection (a) shall |
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begin when the benefits allowed under Section 431.005 are exhausted |
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and continue until the employee's active military duty terminates. |
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(d) In addition to the differential pay provided by |
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Subsection (a), an employee of an emergency services district who |
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is a member of the state military forces or a reserve component of |
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the state or federal armed forces may be provided an extension of |
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the employee's and the employee's dependents' insurance benefits |
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provided by the political subdivision if the governing body of the |
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district votes to provide such benefit. The time period for |
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extension of these insurance benefits shall begin when the benefits |
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allowed under Section 431.005 are exhausted and continue until the |
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employee's active military duty terminates. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |