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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 1789

By: Márquez

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties note that the longevity pay to which professional firefighters in a municipality with a population of 10,000 or more are entitled has remained unchanged for at least 25 years. The parties report that many municipalities are treating the amount of the longevity pay established under current law as a cap on the pay, which has led to difficulty in recruiting and retaining firefighters. C.S.H.B. 1789 seeks to address this issue.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 1789 amends the Local Government Code to change from $4 a month to a minimum of $4 a month the amount of longevity pay each member of the fire or police department in a municipality with a population of 10,000 or more is entitled to receive, in addition to all other money paid for services rendered in the department, for each year of service in the department. The bill removes the cap on the number of years of service in the department to which the longevity pay may be applied.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2015.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 1789 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

INTRODUCED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1.  Section 141.032, Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 141.032.  LONGEVITY PAY.  In a municipality with a population of 10,000 or more, each member of the fire or police department is entitled to receive, in addition to all other money paid for services rendered in the department, longevity pay of at least $4 a month for each year of service in the department, not to exceed 25 years.

SECTION 1.  Section 141.032, Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 141.032.  LONGEVITY PAY.  In a municipality with a population of 10,000 or more, each member of the fire or police department is entitled to receive, in addition to all other money paid for services rendered in the department, longevity pay of at least $4 a month for each year of service in the department[, not to exceed 25 years].

SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.