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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to vacation leave time accounts for firefighter employee |
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organizations. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 142, Local Government |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 142.015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 142.015. VACATION LEAVE TIME ACCOUNT FOR FIREFIGHTERS. |
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(a) A municipality shall establish and maintain a vacation leave |
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time account for each firefighter employee organization. |
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(b) A firefighter who is a member of an employee |
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organization may donate any amount of accumulated vacation time to |
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the vacation leave time account of the employee organization to |
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which the firefighter belongs. |
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(c) A firefighter who wishes to donate vacation time to the |
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account established under this section must authorize the donation |
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in writing on a form provided by the employee organization and |
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approved by the municipality. |
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(d) Only a firefighter who is a member of an employee |
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organization may use the vacation time donated to the account of the |
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employee organization. A firefighter may use the vacation time |
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donated under this section without receiving a reduction in salary |
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and without reimbursing the municipality. |
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(e) A request to use the vacation time in an employee |
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organization's vacation leave time account must be: |
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(1) in writing; and |
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(2) submitted to the municipality: |
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(A) by the president or the equivalent officer of |
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the employee organization or by that officer's designee; and |
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(B) at least three days before the date for which |
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the vacation time is requested. |
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(f) Before vacation time in an employee organization's |
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vacation leave time account may be used by a firefighter, the fire |
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chief, or the fire chief's designee, must approve the request to use |
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the vacation time. The fire chief or the fire chief's designee |
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shall approve a timely request unless the operational needs of the |
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fire department justify that the request be denied. |
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(g) The municipality shall account for the vacation time |
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donated to each vacation leave time account and used from each |
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account. The municipality shall credit and debit the applicable |
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vacation leave time account on an hour-for-hour basis regardless of |
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the cash value of the vacation time donated or used. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |