BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3032

By: Alvarado

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that too often fire departments in larger cities will drag out the filling of promotional vacancies in their fire department ranks despite a statutory requirement that vacancies be filled within a specified time frame and that the resulting unnecessary delays and, sometimes, outright denial of a hard-earned promotion take a toll on these dedicated public servants. The problem is exacerbated when the filling of one vacancy from within the ranks creates another vacancy and there is uncertainty as to when the time frame for filling the subsequent vacancy begins or ends. H.B. 3032 seeks to address this issue by amending the applicable law.

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

H.B. 3032 amends the Local Government Code to specify that, if a fire department in a municipality with a population of 1.5 million or more that has adopted the fire fighters' and police officers' civil service law fills a vacancy from a list of eligible candidates for promotion within the department and a subsequent vacancy is created by the filling of the initial vacancy, the subsequent vacancy is considered vacant on the date the initial vacancy was filled.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.