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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to collective bargaining for firefighters and police |
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officers, including county jailers and detention officers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 174.102, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 174.102. RECOGNITION OF BARGAINING AGENT FOR POLICE |
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OFFICERS. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a [A] public |
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employer shall recognize an association selected by a majority of |
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the police officers of the police department of a political |
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subdivision as the exclusive bargaining agent for the police |
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officers of that department unless a majority of the police |
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officers withdraw the recognition. |
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(b) A majority of the county jailers and detention officers |
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of a sheriff's department may select an association as the |
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exclusive bargaining agent for the county jailers and detention |
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officers, and the sheriff's department shall recognize the |
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association unless a majority of the county jailers and detention |
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officers withdraw the recognition. If the county jailers and |
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detention officers select an exclusive bargaining agent under this |
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subsection: |
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(1) the county jailers and detention officers of the |
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sheriff's department and the peace officers of that department are |
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separate collective bargaining units under this chapter; and |
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(2) the association that represents the county jailers |
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and detention officers and the association that represents the |
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peace officers may voluntarily join together for collective |
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bargaining with the sheriff's department. |
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SECTION 2. Section 174.109, Local Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 174.109. RATIFICATION AND ENFORCEABILITY [EFFECT] OF |
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AGREEMENT. (a) An agreement under this subchapter [chapter] is |
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binding and enforceable against a public employer, an association, |
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and a fire fighter or police officer covered by the agreement if: |
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(1) the governing body of the political subdivision |
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ratified the agreement by a majority vote; and |
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(2) the association ratified the agreement by |
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conducting a secret ballot election at which the majority of the |
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employees covered by the agreement favored ratifying the agreement. |
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(b) An agreement ratified as described by Subsection (a) may |
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establish a procedure by which the parties agree to resolve |
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disputes related to a right, duty, or obligation provided by the |
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agreement, including binding arbitration on a question involving |
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interpretation of the agreement. |
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(c) A state district court of a judicial district in which |
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the political subdivision is located has jurisdiction to hear and |
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resolve a dispute under the ratified agreement on the application |
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of a party to the agreement aggrieved by an action or omission of |
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the other party when the action or omission is related to a right, |
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duty, or obligation provided by the agreement. The court may issue |
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proper restraining orders, temporary and permanent injunctions, or |
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any other writ, order, or process, including a contempt order, that |
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is appropriate to enforcing the agreement. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |