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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 2816

By: Lucio III

Insurance

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

It has been suggested that employee recruitment, training, and retention is vital for successful investigations of complex insurance fraud schemes by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and that improving compensation for commissioned law enforcement officers of TDI's insurance fraud unit would help attract and retain qualified personnel. H.B. 2816 seeks to address this issue by requiring the commissioner of insurance to ensure that such an officer is compensated according to a specific position classification salary schedule.

 

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. 2816 amends the Government Code to include a commissioned law enforcement officer of the insurance fraud unit of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) among the individuals considered a state employee for purposes of hazardous duty pay. The bill entitles a peace officer commissioned as such a law enforcement officer to injury leave under certain conditions.

 

H.B. 2816 amends the Insurance Code to require the commissioner of insurance to ensure that such a peace officer is compensated according to Schedule C of the position classification salary schedule prescribed by the General Appropriations Act.

 

H.B. 2816 adds a temporary provision set to expire September 1, 2021, requiring the classification officer in the office of the state auditor to classify the position of commissioned peace officer employed by the insurance fraud unit of TDI as a Schedule C position under the Texas Position Classification Plan. The change made by the classification officer applies beginning with the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019. 

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.