BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3193
	By: Alvarado; King, Phil (Lucio)
	Intergovernmental Relations
	5/19/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties note a need to change the criteria used to determine the compensation and working conditions for firefighters and police officers employed by a political subdivision. H.B. 3193 seeks to provide for such change.

H.B. 3193 amends current law relating to the relationship between public employers and fire and police employees.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 174.002(a), Local Government Code, to require that a political subdivision provide its fire fighters and police officers with compensation and other conditions of employment that are substantially equal to compensation and other conditions of employment that prevail in comparable fire and police departments, rather than compensation and other conditions of employment that are substantially the same as compensation and conditions of employment prevailing in comparable private sector employment.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 174.021, Local Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 174.021. New heading: COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS REQUIRED. Requires that a political subdivision that employs fire fighters, police officers, or both, provide those employees with compensation and other conditions of employment that are substantially equal to compensation and other conditions of employment that prevail in comparable fire or police departments, as applicable, rather than conditions of employment that prevail in comparable employment in the private sector and based on prevailing private sector compensation and conditions of employment in the labor market area in other jobs that require the same or similar skills, ability, and training and may be performed under the same or similar conditions. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

(1) and (2) deletes these subdivisions

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2017.