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        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to the criteria to determine compensation and conditions | 
      
        |  | of employment of firefighters and police officers of certain | 
      
        |  | political subdivisions. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Section 174.002(a), Local Government Code, is | 
      
        |  | amended to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | (a)  The policy of this state is that a political subdivision | 
      
        |  | shall provide its fire fighters and police officers with | 
      
        |  | compensation and other conditions of employment that are | 
      
        |  | substantially equal to [ the same as] compensation and other | 
      
        |  | conditions of employment that prevail [ prevailing] in comparable | 
      
        |  | fire and police departments [ private sector employment]. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  Section 174.021, Local Government Code, is | 
      
        |  | amended to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 174.021.  COMPENSATION [ PREVAILING WAGE] AND WORKING | 
      
        |  | CONDITIONS REQUIRED.  A political subdivision that employs fire | 
      
        |  | fighters, police officers, or both, shall provide those employees | 
      
        |  | with compensation and other conditions of employment that are[ : | 
      
        |  | [ (1)]  substantially equal to compensation and other | 
      
        |  | conditions of employment that prevail in comparable fire or police | 
      
        |  | departments, as applicable [ employment in the private sector; and | 
      
        |  | [ (2)  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]. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |